Fire and Ice
by Erreki
Summary: Kiba has been a ladies man, a bachelor and a free spirit for so long he doesn't know how to act when he has to become part of an arranged marriage between Konoha and Snow Country. Will opposites attract? KibaxOC
1. A Matter of Duty

**A Matter Of Duty**

This could not be happening, this just could not be happening. Kiba roughly ran his hands through his hair. His jaw set in anger and now his fists tightly by his sides. His knuckles turned white from the strain. He couldn't get the bitter taste from his mouth. His gaze was fixed, cold and hostile as he stormed down the streets of Konoha, not caring where he was going or who he ignored as he went. The red haze was beginning to fade but he was still extremely pissed. How could they do this? What gave them the right to destroy his lifestyle? Didn't he get a say in any of this? "K-Kiba!" a voice made him halt immediately. Slowly he turned his head around to meet the wide eyed gaze of his female teammate, Hinata. Her lavender eyes were wide with concern and worry…there was something else there…guilt. Did she feel like this was her fault? Knowing Hinata, she did. She never was one that like any sort of conflict or negativity between people. She was too gentle and warm sometimes but when she had to, she was ruthless as a ninja should be. "Don't say you're sorry Hinata. None of this is your fault." the Inuzuka male said before she got the chance to apologize. Hinata bit her lip and lowered her gaze, suddenly finding the ground a lot more interesting. "B-but it…it kind of is…" she mumbled. Kiba frowned at her.

"What?" he asked, folding his arms as she turned to fully face her, his brown eyes intently on her. The Hyuga swallowed and chewed the inside of her mouth before hesitantly looking up at him. Something clicked with Kiba then and there.

"You suggested me to Naruto didn't you?"

"It slipped out! I'm so sorry Kiba, I didn't mean to. I just mentioned that you-" she stopped as Akamaru landed next to her along with Tsume who regarded her son with a frown. "You need to work on your anger management Kiba." she told him.

"Like you're one to talk. You'd do the same thing if you were in my position." he muttered, not feeling at all guilty about breaking Naruto's desk in half.

"Now listen here Kiba, it wouldn't have mattered if I nominated you or Hinata happened to mention you, your position in all of this would be the same." she lectured harshly. Kiba narrowed his gaze at his mother. She was behind this as well. "You're the only one that is suitable for this. Besides it isn't a matter of what you want. This is about what is good for the Village and our Clan. Stop being a spoilt child and man up." Her words made Kiba's anger slip to shock and a small amount of fear. She was right, this was basically a mission, one he'd have to maintain for his whole life. But it was to be for the Village and the Clan that he would soon be a head of. Now he began to think hard and more clearly about it.

All ninja were given missions that they didn't like or want to carry out but they had to. He had a responsibility to his village to do this. He was twenty four years old and he had acted like a four year old brat having a tantrum. This was his duty, what he wanted was not a factor in any of it. While he knew this, he was still angry about everything but he let out a slow sigh, he'd have to get on with it. Konoha could afford to miss out on this because of his unhappiness. He was the only one fit for this- or rather he was the only one available. Kiba glanced up at Hinata and his mother. "Fine…when do we leave?" he muttered.

"Tomorrow morning. Don't be late." Tsume said before turning on her heel and leaving. Hinata looked at one of her closest male friends and smiled softly. "Come on, let's go and get a drink. Everyone is going to be there. It's best to let them all know at once." she said, hooking her arm through his and walked with him down the street to the usual spot where the rookie nine and Neji's team always frequented. Sure enough by the time the Inuzuka and Hyuga arrived and sat down at their usual table most of the others were there. The only ones still to arrive were Shino, Naruto, Sakura and Ino. Shikamaru glanced at Kiba and scrutinized him silently. "Something's up…you look like your life is over." he said. Kiba grumbled before speaking up. "Yeah it is…I'll tell everyone when the others are here. Then I want to get stinking drunk. Best to see my life off properly."

"Kiba!" Hinata said disapprovingly, clearly unhappy with her team mate's attitude. Chouji and Sasuke listened silently, it took a lot to get Kiba into this mood which sparked their curiosity. The Inuzuka threw back a bottle of beer in one go and slammed the empty bottle on the table. Neji looked to his cousin. She knew what was going on but wasn't going to say a thing. By the time Kiba was on his third bottle, the whole group was assembled. Naruto, being Hokage knew what was happening, Hinata being his wife knew as well but neither of them wanted to bring it up. "Everyone is here Kiba, so spill it. What's with all this 'my life is over' stuff?" Shikamaru asked. "It's not like you to be overdramatic."

"My life is over, Nara. My current lifestyle anyway." he growled out. "I love the life I have, being a jounin, getting to be the head of my clan, I'm even getting a squad of genin in a couple of weeks and most of all…I love my independent lifestyle, not being bound to anyone. I'm still young and love being a bachelor. But that's all changed now." The Inuzuka let his gaze fall to Naruto and Hinata before he addressed the group. "I'm getting married." His words sent chokes and sprays of alcohol everywhere.

"Arranged I take it." Shikamaru said, one of the only ones not to choke on their drinks. Kiba nodded. "Who is she and why is Kiba getting the task of this?" he asked, letting his gaze fall to Naruto.

"It's to strengthen our allegiance with the Snow Country. The union will also benefit trade, economy and military powers between both of us. Kiba is the only clan heir that is male, around the same age and of appropriate status for this marriage. That and he's the only clan member that matches all of that and is still available for marriage. I didn't want to but those Elders wouldn't let me look for someone else." Naruto explained rubbing his head. Kiba sighed loudly and threw back his drink. He was leaving for the Snow Country in the morning, he wished he didn't have to but the voice rang in his head again, a voice that couldn't be drowned out with alcohol 'It's your duty, it's for the clan, it's for the well being of the village.'

So cold. So very, very fucking cold. Kiba tightened his gloved hands around the thick cloak around him as the swirl of snow fell around him. The harsh wind slapped his face and made him tremble constantly. His usually warm brown eyes were cold, narrowed slits as he glared furiously at the faint outline of the Snow Country as they slowly neared it. It had taken a week to get here and now he wished they'd never come. He was already hating this place and his bride to be just because of the weather alone. Kiba blinked when a white mug appeared in front of him. "Take it." Silently Kiba took it, the heat seeped through his gloves and warmed his hands. The Inuzuka looked to Kakashi Hatake, their escort. Not only had he been to the Snow Country, he'd also had contact with the family they were going to in the past. Maybe he would be able to get some information from the Copy Ninja. "You shouldn't go to the family resentful. Try to understand that this'll be harder for the girl you are marrying than it is for you." he said, making Kiba blink in surprise and irritation.

"What? Why can't I feel angry or resentful about this?"

"You can but not to her."

"And she get's the special treatment why?"

"Because you may not have had a say in this for little over a week. This woman hasn't had a say in anything since she was born. She hasn't even been allowed to leave her city. Remember, she's being forced into this too and she's leaving with us. No family or friends will be coming. Imagine it. Surrounded by strangers in a different place, a different environment. Completely alone. You'll have Akamaru, your team mates, your family and all your friends to help you. She won't have anyone." Kakashi explained.

"Since she was born?" Kiba asked, taking a long, warming drink of tea. He couldn't imagine being that restricted or alone.

"Yes. Although her father started seeking out a foreign suitor when she was six. He even tried to get me to marry her. But I'm too old for her. I even heard Gaara was placing a bid for someone to marry this girl. We should be thankful that she's going to strengthen our ties to the Snow Country. She's actually a good looking woman you know."

"How would you know? You haven't been to the Snow Country in years and she hasn't left her city."

"Yes, but I met her father a couple of years ago in the Rain country. He had a picture of her to show the feudal Lord and showed me."

"So what is her father's position?"

"A General and leader of the city and part of the snow country itself." Kakashi answered, watching as the boat pulled into the dock. "Well let's get a move on, we still have a long way to go." he said, leaping off of the boat and onto the dock that was covered with snow. Akamaru seemed curious and hesitant about the white substance. It snowed in Konoha but this was different, the snow on the dock alone came up to Kakashi's knees as he couldn't use chakra to stand on it due to their promise to not use chakra or weaponry until they reached the city. This town was full of civilians with only a handful of ninja guards patrolling it. The leaf ninja could sense the guards chakra but the civilians were all unaware of it. They slowly ploughed their way through the thick mass of snow that only grew deeper as they left the town and began their trek through the mountain pass. "Fucking snow…" Kiba muttered angrily as he shivered. The melted snow seeping through his clothes was making him feel numb and more on edge. He had taken Kakashi's advise but he still wasn't happy about any of this. His thoughts went back to the bar in Konoha, the night before he left. He had said his life was over, he had listed his accomplishments and the things he was going to accomplish. But this woman…this girl had none. She hadn't even left her own city. She hadn't been free to do the things Kiba did. Hell, Hinata was the future heir to her clan and she had accomplished a lot. She had been free to become a ninja even though many thought she couldn't. Hinata had even been free to marry Naruto, the man she loved. He and his future bride however, would never experience such a luxury. Kiba and the others stopped at the very edge of the mountain, the Inuzukas hadn't expected to nearly fall over the edge. They had thought there was still a long way to go but the large expanse of white had tricked them. They looked down to see the large city beneath them. Surprisingly there was no snow on the roads of the city or on the rooftops of the buildings. Snow still fell as they followed Kakashi through the bustling city. "The stone used to pave the roads and create the rooftops doesn't allow any snow to fall on it. It stops people being snowed in. It's the same for all buildings in the Snow Country." Kiba frowned he hadn't noticed in the town they arrived in and made a mental note to look on their way back to Konoha. Soon they came to a large building in the middle of the city. It was far larger than the Hokage Mansion. Kiba let out a slow, long sigh. This was it. Now it hit him. There was no going back, this was real. They all looked around the entrance hall of the building everything was ornate, clearly expensive and spectacular. Two robed, armoured men with swords on their back bowed to them. "Welcome to the Yamamoto estate, we will take you to the General now." the shorter but more muscular of the two greeted and led them up the stairs and down a hall that was just as beautiful as the entrance. The ninja tensed and became more alert at the sound of something smashing and a loud scream. "It's best to ignore that…my daughter isn't taking the news of the marriage well." a voice came. The ninja looked to see a tall, well built man walk to them, not reacting as another smash sounded from down the halls. Kiba felt dread. The high pitched scream, the smashing. He had to marry a spoilt girl who thought the world revolved around her. No wonder General Yamamoto wanted to marry her off.

The General led them into a room with comfortable sofas and bookcases lining most of the walls. The man sat down on a large armchair and indicated for the ninja to sit on the large sofa opposite him. He didn't bat an eye at the two large canines that sat at the Inuzukas feet. A loud crash and thud made Tsume clear her throat lightly. "How long has your daughter known about her finalised engagement to my son?" she asked.

"The same amount of time as your son."

"And she's still taking it badly?"

"No, no she's taking it well." General Yamamoto replied with a smile. Kiba paled. This was taking it well? A loud bang and silence fell. The ninja looked to a doorway as the sound of wailing came closer. A small girl of five years came rushing into the room and jumped into her father's arms. "Now, now Hina. Let's have no more tears." he said softly, the small girl hiccupped and rubbed her eyes with her fisted hands before sniffing.

"I-I'm sorry…for breaking the plates daddy." she mumbled, not noticing the guests in the room. "b-b-but I don't want…Yu-yukiko to go!" she cried. Kiba felt himself relax. This was the tantrum thrower. He was glad but it made him wonder who he was going to marry. He looked over when a boy of ten entered. He could feel the anger and sadness radiating off of the boy. He sat down next to the still sniffing girl and folded his arms, staring straight at Kiba hostilely. "Be sure to apologize to Yukiko when she comes, Hina. None of this is her fault and it saddens her just as much to leave us." the boy said, not taking his deep blue eyes off of the Inuzuka heir. "Yes Tohru…" Hina mumbled, curling up in her father's lap, only now seeing the Leaf ninja and the dogs. Her bright blue eyes that matched the shade of her father's and her brother's were intense with curiosity. The scent of jasmine and violets came to Kiba as someone silently approached the room. Stepping into the room was a young woman. Smooth, pale skin was exposed only at her face, neck and slender hands. Everything else was covered in a midnight blue silk kimono with white and gold orchids embroidered along the bottom and up her left side. Tsume was also eyeing her. Her hourglass figure was perfect for childbearing. She wasn't too thin or too muscular from what she could see. What really got Kiba's attention was the vibrant amethyst eyes that were even more noticeable because of her pale complexion and pale blonde hair that was braided over her shoulder and stopped at her right elbow. The young woman was definitely breathtaking and a small sense of pride came over him. He was the one that got her, no one else. With silent grace the young woman sat down next to her brother. Yukiko let her eyes fall to Kakashi as he bowed his head to her. "A pleasure to see you again Princess." Kiba's eyes widened. Princess?

Yukiko's pale lips turned upwards briefly into a small, polite smile. Kiba watched her expression fall back to it's calm, neutral way and she bowed her head to him also. "And a pleasure to see you again Hatake-san." she said. Her voice was soft, willowy and formal. "Not trying to sound rude, but when will you be able to leave with us for Konoha?" Tsume asked. Being the current head of the family, she didn't want to be away for too long. Tohru and Hina's gaze snapped to their elder sister who looked to her future mother-in-law. "It isn't rude to ask. I know you are all busy as shinobi which is why I finished packing two days ago." she began, hands folded on her lap. "We can leave today if you wish, but I would like to spend just a couple of hours with my father and siblings before we do." she requested gently, ignoring the shocked and pained expressions of her siblings as they stared at her. The twenty year old turned her attention on Kuromaru and Akamaru. Her amethyst eyes regarding them silently. Kiba couldn't see any expression from this woman. He couldn't tell if she was curious about them, annoyed with their presence or if she was at all interested in the nin dogs. "Of course, you may spend as much time with your family as you wish. We aren't trying to rush you in anyway Princess Yamamoto." Tsume said.

"There is no need to be so formal, I am to marry into your clan after all. You may call me by my first name." Yukiko answered lifting her gaze and maintaining it with the current Inuzuka leader.

"And you may call me by mine and Kiba by his. The dogs are Kuromaru and Akamaru." Tsume said. Yukiko nodded and let her gaze hold Kiba's.

"Is it okay with you if I call you by your first name?"

"He should be asking that of you, sister. Not the other way around." Tohru muttered sourly from beside her. His hostile glare never leaving Kiba.

"Manners to your elders and manners to your family, Tohru." Yukiko spoke in her usual soft and gentle tone but it made Tohru lower his gaze and apologize instantly. Kiba watched her take her brother's hand and rise before using her free hand to lift Hina. Tohru bowed along with his older sister before they left.

"An interesting and impressive girl…" Tsume muse aloud to the General who smirked.

"Yes, I fear how I will handle Tohru and Hina without her. It is hard for them. My wife died in child birth to Hina. Yukiko is the only mother figure they've really known. Before Hina, my wife was always ill so Tohru was around his sister more." he explained. "But what makes you think her interesting and impressive?" he asked curiously.

"Her ability to handle her siblings without raising her voice. Her ability to act so calmly and strongly and not show any real emotion about this situation is also interesting. She can maintain eye contact with me so that's impressive." Tsume responded, looking to the door the Yamamoto children left through when the sound of a violin began to play.

"Hina's favourite…" General Yamamoto said with a calm smile, letting the music fill the large building. "I'll miss her playing too." Kiba looked to the door. It was a beautiful song but not one he recognised. His future bride was musically gifted as most noble women were-they usually had to possess some form of musical skill or grace. The song seemed to calm Kiba and his stress and tension seemed to fall off of him.

Kiba glanced at the woman as she sat on the boat, looking at the shrinking form of the Snow Country as they began their journey back to Konoha. Her first time on a boat and her first time out of her city and she still sat with the calm, neutral expression. It was such a contrast to her siblings who had no problems showing their emotions. Although Tohru was more in control than his little sister, the two had let their feelings on the marriage and their sister's leaving be known. Hina had kicked his shin hard as a farewell and Tohru merely glared daggers at him. Remembering the kick, Kiba rubbed his leg, still feeling it's sting. "I do apologize for her actions. They know I'm doing this for the sake of them and my country so they will calm soon. They only found out today, I hope you can understand." Kiba looked to see Yukiko looking at him evenly. The Inuzuka slowly set his foot down and nodded.

"It's fine…she's got a strong kick so I can respect that." he told her, unsure of how to talk to her. He knew nothing about her. Something made him frown. "I understand the marriage being for the countries but, how will it be for their sake?" he asked. Yukiko pushed a strand of blonde hair from her face and answered. "I have a duty to do anything I can for the sake of my Country. But I also have a duty to my family. By marrying to secure ties with another Country, my siblings will be free to fall in love and marry who they wish. It is my duty to make sure my siblings are happy. Giving them the freedom I never had is all thanks to this marriage." she explained. Duty, that word again. They both had duties to their Countries but Yukiko had another duty. She was loyal to her family, something the Inuzukas could respect. Tsume smirked from behind her mug of steaming hot chocolate. "What are you thinking?" Kuromaru asked in a low voice from next to his mistress. "Just that those two are complete opposites…makes me wonder how well they'll get along and how their marriage will develop…" the Head Inuzuka mused softly. Her conversation with her animal companion was unheard to the engaged couple at the other side of the boat who had fallen silent and were looking away from each other. Kakashi had disappeared somewhere to read his book. Kuromaru chuckled. "And what do you think will happen?"

"I think she might be good for Kiba and he might be good for her. But I guess time will be our only way of knowing for sure." The black dog gave a barking laugh at the woman's answer before looking at the two with interest.


	2. Adjusting

**Adjusting**

Looking back, Kiba raised his eyebrows to see Yukiko looking at the wildflowers growing amongst the trees, the open parasol held in her slender hand. Because of the sunshine and heat and Yukiko being unused to everything but snow, her father had sent the item with her to offer her shade which she needed when the had gotten off of the boat. They had only just arrived in the Fire Country, travelling through the mountains of the earth country to get there. Tsume had gone ahead after getting on the boat, needing to get back to the estate as soon as possible. Because of their travelling through the mountains, everything had been dull and almost a constant shade of brown. But even then, Yukiko had been looking around the dull coloured expanse of mountain with silent amethyst eyes that had a sudden spark of curiosity and admiration. The sparkle of her gemlike eyes only heightened when she was amongst the greens of the trees, bright colours of the flowers and wildlife and the dazzling blue of the sky. For someone who saw these things regularly the beauty was somehow dwindled for Kiba but then he recalled the blank snow filled canvas that Yukiko was used to, only able to see colours in clothing and paintings if she was lucky. A sharp hitch of her breath made him look back again. She was looking at something on her hand. Large colourful wings and a tiny black body rested on her pale hand. Kiba tensed at the look on her face. Her usually blank, calm expression was gone. In it's place were large widened orbs of purple and pale lips parted into an awed but curious smile. With childlike innocence, her head tilted to the side. Her light blonde hair slipped and fell over her face. The week they'd been travelling, she hadn't shown much facial expression. But her eyes seemed to glitter a little more when she saw something appealing to her. This genuine smile- however partial- was actually heart stopping. Had anyone been passing, they would have stopped. It was that kind of a smile. "What is this?" she suddenly asked in her usual calm and willowy tone.

"It's a butterfly…" Kiba answered slowly with a frown. "Haven't you seen one before?" Her eyes met his evenly and a shake of her head was his answer.

"Are they all this colourful?"

"Some are, some aren't. You'll see plenty of them in all different sizes and patterns." he told her. Akamaru gave a sudden bark, making the butterfly leave Yukiko's hand. Kiba followed Akamaru's gaze and he frowned. Someone was coming and fast. His dog wasn't growling so they weren't a threat. Two plumes of dust were approaching, the dust was making it hard to pinpoint the incomers' scent. Then it hit him. "Shit." he muttered and winced at the sudden declaration.

"LET'S GO TEAM! YOUTH WILL MAKE US FASTER!"

"YES GAI-SENSEI!" Two voices propelled towards Kiba and the others. Without thinking, Kiba launched himself at Yukiko, he wrapped his arms around her and twisted to hold her at the edge of the path just as the two plumes of dust clouds charged passed along with a yell from a stern voice to 'watch out'. Kakashi sighed as Gai and Lee came to an abrupt halt at the young Hyuga's yell. Blinking they looked to the masked ninja and let their gaze slide over to Kiba who was glaring. Finally their eyes widened at the pair of amethyst eyes staring at them from over the leather of Kiba's arm.

The engaged princess stared at the green clad duo, not moving in Kiba's hold. "You almost knocked that poor woman over, you two. I seriously wish you would stop getting to enthusiastic about missions especially low ranked ones like this." a deep voice came next making Kiba and Yukiko look over to see the Hyuga male and the only female of the group looking at Gai and Lee like two disapproving parents. Tenten let her gaze go to Yukiko then, wincing as Lee and Gai started yelling apologies at Kiba and Yukiko even though they had no idea who she was. Neji allowed himself to inspect the woman too. When Kiba moved her out of the way and into his hold she must have reacted instinctively as her free hand was on his upper arm. Tenten was grinning widely, not bothering to hide it. Neji allowed himself a small smirk before he approached the glaring dog-nin and his future wife who remained blank faced. "We apologize for our team-mates miss-"

"Princess." Kakashi's voice lilted up to correct the Hyuga. The masked ninja winced as Lee and Gai bellowed out. "PRINCESS! HOW YOUTHFUL! PLEASE FORGIVE US!"

"Princess…" Neji amended "we hope you can forgive them…and their unnecessary yelling." Yukiko let her eyes fall back to the spandex wearing men who where now on their knees, tears streaming down their faces. Cautiously Yukiko looked up to Kiba who was looking at the pair; clearly used to their actions but looked severely annoyed with them.

"Well you didn't see me and even if you had it wasn't your intention to nearly knock me down. Besides I'm not even hurt, so there is nothing to forgive." Yukiko answered meeting the gaze of Lee and Gai as she spoke. The two broke out into wide grins and were on their feet. Gai gave her the thumbs up. "What an excellent display of youth and kindness. Lee this is the girl for you. You deserve a woman with beauty, grace and most importantly an understanding of youth's awesome power. Princess, would you like my student to pledge to protect you always?" he asked flashing her a grin.

"Gai-sensei…she is Kiba's fiancée. Besides you know Lee has his eye on a girl in the village." Tenten sighed, rubbing her head as she felt a headache beginning to creep up on her. Gai and Lee's eyes widened at their team-mate and then at Yukiko who kept her expression blank as always. Neji scanned the girl and looked to Kiba as Rock Lee and Gai talked to Yukiko. Kakashi glanced over the top of his book and closed it. "Are you all off on a mission?" he asked. Gai snapped to attention.

"YOSH! ALRIGHT TEAM, THAT'S ENOUGH STANDING AROUND. THIS COUNTED AS OUR BREAK NOW LET'S GO AT THE SPEED OF YOUTH!" He shouted, speeding off with Lee close at his heels. Groaning, Tenten followed with a silent Neji beside her. Casually Kakashi snapped his book shut and looked to Kiba who still held Yukiko after Team Gai left. "My, aren't you two a pretty sight? I wish I had my camera. Well, let's get going." he said giving them his usual eye crease of a smile. Yukiko silently looked up to see Kiba looking down at her. He mumbled something before releasing her and walking to stand with Akamaru. For the remainder of the walk, Kakashi stood next to Yukiko. "What do you think of a snowless landscape?" he asked.

"It's beautiful. I've never seen anything like this before…" she replied before looking up at him. "If you don't mind my asking, who were those people that passed us?"

"The oldest was Maito Gai, the one that looked like him was Rock Lee. The female was TenTen and the other male was-"

"A Hyuga, correct?" she asked suddenly before apologizing for interrupting him. Kakashi chuckled and ruffled her hair lightly as he usually did with team seven- something he still did even though his students were grown up. "Yes, that was Neji Hyuga. Future heir to the clan. His cousin, Hinata is our Hokage's wife." he informed her. Yukiko slowly nodded, taking in all of the information before she spotted the gates coming into view.

Izumo and Kotetsu sat in the hut, relaxing and idly talking when they spotted Kiba and Akamaru enter first. They stopped mid-conversation and sat up. "Hey Kiba. Your mother said you and Kakashi-san would be arriving sometime today with…" Kotetsu trailed off as Kakashi entered, Yukiko by his side, the open parasol hiding her face from view. Izumo and Kotetsu bowed to her. "Welcome to Konoha, we hope your journey wasn't too tiring." Izumo said, both men watching as Yukiko turned to look at them. She lowered her parasol, clasped her hands together and bowed back to them. "Thank you for your welcome. It's a pleasure to be in your village." she said to the two men. Kakashi lifted his hand lazily to wave in greeting to the men while Kiba stroked Akamaru's head. A flash of yellow shot in front of Yukiko before her startled shriek sounded. Kiba sighed out as Naruto spun around happily, holding Yukiko under her arms like a child. Her amethyst eyes were wide with shock and embarrassment- the first real sign of emotion she had shown since Kiba had met her.

"You must be Princess Yukiko. Wow! You're so much prettier than your picture!" he grinned up at her.

"Hokage-sama…" Kotetsu sighed, shaking his head.

"Naruto, that's not the best way to greet someone. We talked about this…remember?" Kakashi said. Ignoring them, Naruto continued grinning and spun with Yukiko before setting her next to Kiba who narrowed his eyes at the Hokage. Yukiko staggered slightly and fixed her robes. Once she composed herself she slowly bowed to him. "I'm honoured to meet you, Lord Hokage…you are fondly spoken of in my country. Many would love to meet you in person." she spoke to him respectfully. Naruto broke out into a nervous, touched smile, blushing slightly. "Call me Naruto, 'kay. You're gonna be my buddy's wife. Can't have you be formal around a friend." he grinned.

"You never let people be formal with you, though." Kiba muttered with a smirk while Akamaru barked happily. Naruto scratched his cheek before he remembered.

"Oh yeah, you two are wanted at the estate. Something about the clan members wanting to see the suitability of the bride…" he said casually with a shrug. Kiba's eyebrows raised and glanced to Yukiko who stood silently and composed by his side. She had her parasol closed and held it in front of her elegantly. Nodding, Kiba began to walk, his faithful companion walking on one side of him while Yukiko stood at the other but held back slightly so he was in front. Kiba found it odd, she was naturally letting him in front and it wasn't because she didn't know where she was going. His future bride was naturally- and most likely, subconsciously- submitting to him. Glancing back he could see her walking upright and with calm, unwavering confidence. But her eyes were lowered ever so slightly. So far she seemed to be adjusting to everything very well. But then again, she hadn't shown any emotion or reaction to anything that happened since leaving her city- apart from Naruto's greeting.

Kuromaru sat loyally next to Tsume as she knelt on the floor at the front of the room, the rest of the Inuzuka clan sat around the room. Yukiko sat on the floor, legs beneath her in the middle of the room and on her own. Her hands were folded on her lap as she stared silently in front of her; not really looking at anything. Kiba and Hana sat on either side but behind their mother. Kiba's dark brown eyes scanned the room, all eyes; including the canines were on Yukiko intensely.

"We have to talk about what this marriage means…and I don't mean about how it benefit's the village. What we need to discuss is your suitability, duties and obligations to the clan and of course, Kiba." Tsume spoke strongly. Yukiko remained unmoving. "Do you understand?"

"I do. Not to speak out of turn but since this is an arranged marriage; hasn't my suitability has already been decided upon, just as it has for Kiba?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" a male growled from the side. Yukiko remained staring at Tsume.

"My father didn't question the future heir of this clan. Because of his status; he is deemed suitable to be my husband, just as my status and Hokage's decision deems me fit to be his wife." Yukiko answered softly and calmly. Despite its softness, her voice carried over the room strongly.

"Very true, moving on. Your duties, I'm sure have been at least mentioned to you?" Tsume asked.

"No, but I'm sure the most important is of me producing a child, if not several to maintain the prosperity of the clan and a future heir." she answered. Kiba looked to his mother. He knew having a child would be required but he wasn't sure he was ready to be a father yet.

"Yes. You will also be expected to be nothing but faithful to Kiba." Tsume said.

"And we mean in every sense of the word…" the same male from earlier stated. Kiba stiffened a little as he noticed Yukiko's back become a little more rigid and her chin lifted. Her amethyst eyes flashed with unrestrained emotion. Slowly a long, silent breath was released. "My father never let me leave my own city. He never let me out of his, or a guard's sight until this arrangement and I doubt being constantly watched is going to change here." she began. "I was raised to have the greatest amount of self-respect and I am actually…insulted to be thought of the adulterous type- especially by a member of the clan I will be marrying into but…" she stopped and turned her gaze fully onto the man who spoke. "If it eases your mind, I am a virgin. So when it comes to the wedding night, my husband will be very sure if I've been 'faithful in all senses of the word' or not. And even after then, I would not degrade myself and sleep with another man." Yukiko stood after speaking and bowed to Tsume. "It's been a long day and I'm not used to such heat. I'd like to rest and perhaps continue this later?" she requested. Stunned, like all of the Inuzukas in the room, Tsume merely nodded as Yukiko bowed and left the room. Kuromaru blinked and looked at Tsume who cleared her throat. Kiba had to force his mouth to close, like a few in the room. Although she hadn't yelled, or cursed at them she had managed to stand up to someone who insulted her. She had also sworn to be loyal to him which was what the clan was really looking for. They didn't want a dishonest person to join their clan. Her outright confession at being a virgin took him especially by surprise.

"So where is she?" Sasuke asked with a smirk as Kiba sat down at the booth in the bar. Sakura smiled from beside him. "Neji and the rest of Team Gai has seen her as well as Naruto. When do we get to meet her?" the medic asked curiously.

"Hinata and Shino dropped by earlier. They met her and then Hinata went shopping with her to get clothes for this climate."

"Did she not think to bring some with her?" Chouji asked with a frown.

"She lived in the Snow Country, so I guess not. Besides she didn't bring a lot with her."

"Is her family poor or something? They are powerful in name but not financially that sort of thing?" Sasuke asked with a smirk. Kiba realised none of them knew anything about Yukiko.

"No, her family isn't poor." he answered. He sat back and began to drink his beer, glancing up when Chouji smiled excitedly. "There's Hinata…so let's see Kiba's b-" his mouth hung open mid sentence. Kiba arched his eyebrow. He knew Chouji got speechless around good looking women but this? He leaned out of the booth and turned his head. There was Hinata and next to her was Yukiko but she looked different. Her hair was no longer pinned or plaited instead it was free and fell in natural waves. Her body that had been covered in the multiple layers of kimonos when they travelled was now shown-covered by a baby blue strapless summer dress that reached her knees. The fabric was clearly light and highlighted the curves of her feminine form. Unlike kunoichi she wasn't very muscular and more feminine. What got Kiba the most was her porcelain white skin was tinged a pale pink across her cheeks. Her could smell the violets and jasmine- her scent. But it also held nervousness and fear. She had a vulnerable element to her that instinctively made him want to protect her. Hinata smiled warmly to Yukiko as they approached the booth. "I'll get you a drink." she said as her team-mate's fiancée sat down next to him. As she settled next to him, he could feel her tension. "What's wrong?" he asked in a low voice, keeping the conversation private. His voice in her ear made Yukiko stiffen slightly and look at him, her face that usual blank canvas. If it wasn't for the blush on her cheeks he would have thought she was fine. "I'm just having trouble…." she began in a soft whisper.

"Adjusting?" he finished, she nodded.

"And…I haven't worn something so…."

"Light?"

"Revealing…." Yukiko corrected, looking away. Kiba frowned at her. It was actually adorable that she thought what she was wearing was revealing. But he guessed where she grew up it would be.

"It's not revealing. Besides you look very nice. Blue suits you…" he added in the same low voice so the others knew not to listen in. Yukiko looked at him silently and nodded, her lips briefly twitched into a small trace of a smile. Kiba could feel her ease slightly. "Thank you." she said before looking to the others at the table before she settled on Chouji. "Akimichi clan, correct?" she noted instantly her lips curving slightly when Chouji's mouth opened and closed before he nodded. Kiba looked to the others sitting at the booth. Naruto was sitting back, the picture of ease despite the fact that there was probably a mountain of paperwork at his office. Shikamaru watched Yukiko with silent curiosity as she began to talk to Chouji about his clan. Sakura was trying not to laugh at Sasuke who seemed to be sulking- probably at the fact that the newcomer hadn't spoken to him about his clan first. Kiba lifted his bottle of beer to his lips and looked over to see a jounin looking at an unsuspecting Yukiko. Something sparked in Kiba then. All alphas hated seeing another male looking at the female that technically belonged to them. Kiba had never experienced it before but he was now. Knowing that Yukiko was his future wife was what made him possessive but he let his arm beside her move and wrap around her shoulders. Not knowing that it was coming, Yukiko fell against Kiba, causing his hand to fall to her waist, and looked up at him in surprise, the faint traces of the blush back on her face. "Are we interrupting something?" a smooth voice asked, Kiba looked up to see Ino, Hinata and Shino at the table. The Inuzuka frowned at Ino who had spoken and was now entering the booth at the opposite side along with his team-mates. After setting a wine glass in front of Yukiko, Hinata continued on until she was sat next to Naruto. Ino and Shino stayed at the edge. The blonde was sat directly in front of Kiba with a sweet smile. She was going to watch everything he did and to inspect Yukiko.

The evening progressed quickly and in the middle of his conversation with Naruto, Kiba looked at Yukiko who had been brought into conversation with Shikamaru- the lazy genius found it interesting to talk to someone from a foreign land whose father was also a general. "I'm sure he talked about strategies a lot?" he guessed to the woman who sipped her drink before answering. "Yes, he would tell us that anything we did was to be considered as though it was like a battle. Everything has consequences and benefits…" she said. "He would even play Shougi with me on the nights he wasn't tired from work." she said. At the mention of the Chunin's favourite game he smirked."We should play sometime." he said. Yukiko nodded with her face as composed as ever. As she took another drink of the wine Hinata got for her, she tucked a stray strand of her pale blonde hair behind her ear. At the middle of the booth, Sakura narrowed her eyes fiercely at Ino -who had been regarding Yukiko most of the night- before she caught Hinata's gaze and made a subtle hint towards Yukiko. "Yukiko-san would you like for me to walk you back to the estate? You'll be having a busy day tomorrow." the raven haired girl spoke up as she stood. The Hokage's wife smiled and said good bye as she made her way to the end of the booth and left the bar with Yukiko. "She seems like a nice girl." Chouji said once the two were gone.

"A bit odd, more like…" Ino commented, taking a long drink from her glass.

"Why do you say that?" Naruto asked, pouting slightly that Hinata was gone.

"For one she doesn't say a lot unless spoken to, Sai has more emotion and colour than her too. Seems a bit awkward."

"It would be odd for her not to be like that Ino, you should really brush up in your knowledge of other countries and their cultures especially high ranked and noble families." Shikamaru muttered, ignoring Ino's high pitched shriek. "Excuse me? Fine then genius, you tell me all that you know."

"First off, her country has little sun explaining her pale complexion. The fact that she only speaks when spoken to and shows little emotion is because of her family's placement. Someone like Yukiko- who has been raised to be a political pawn- whose father is a prominent and powerful leader can't let her emotions be shown or seem to be disobedient. She's been raised to do as she's told and not let her true feelings be seen in case it offends or shows weakness. As for her 'awkwardness' if you were brought to a place like this and be surrounded by people you don't know staring at you like you were a piece of meat to be judged, you'd be a little awkward too Ino." Shikamaru lectured before sitting back. "Probably why she and Hinata do so well together." Naruto and Kiba looked at him with a frown. "Hinata is the daughter of a Lord, if it wasn't for you, she would have been made to marry someone for the sake of the village and her clan. She's also been raised to be submissive and do as commanded. She knows what Yukiko's going through so it's easy for them to connect." Shikamaru explained to the two staring at him.

Kiba made his way through the darkened corridors of the Inuzuka estate. Most of the clan were asleep. Some were still lurking about with their canine companions. When he reached his room he wasn't surprised to see Akamaru sprawled out over the large mattress. He was however slightly stunned to see Yukiko lying on the side farthest away from the door. Her back was to him and her deep, relaxed breathing told him she was sleeping. A scent made him frown. It was bitter, salty. He silently walked around the bed to see Yukiko's sleeping face bathed in the moonlight that shone through the window, lighting the otherwise dark room. He could see her skin glistened and could even see the damp patch on the pillow. Kiba lowered his head and let out a long sigh. She had clearly cried herself to sleep. Shikamaru had been right- as usual. He thought his future bride had been coping well with this but it was now evident that she wasn't. Not allowed to show emotion…Kiba could have laughed. He was a hothead, always showed his emotions and quick to speak his opinions, regardless of who was insulted. Before meeting Yukiko he would never have considered being free to speak your mind a luxury, now he did. He ran his fingers through his hair and began to change for bed. Wearing only a pair of black pyjama bottoms, he attempted to get into the bed. His large white dog was the only obstacle. "C'mon Akamaru…" he hissed quietly. The dog lifted his head lazily and let out a low rumbling groan before shifting, rolling onto his back. Sighing, Kiba proceeded to push his unhelpful dog to the bottom of the bed. Knowing he hadn't a lot of time, Kiba climbed under the covers. Relaxing, he soon felt Akamaru move and fall heavily onto Kiba's legs. A tired, feminine whine made Kiba look up. Akamaru had thrown himself across the two of them, his head and front legs across Yukiko while the rest of his body lay over Kiba's feet and dangled off the edge of the bed. His gaze moved back to Yukiko who began to move. Her eyes where half opened but Kiba could tell she was still sleeping. She rolled over until she was facing him and shifted her legs under the covers and Akamaru before she relaxed, one arm under her pillow and head while the other rested in front of her face. Kiba lost himself in watching her as a peaceful smile shaped her lips. That was how he could tell she was still asleep- because she gave a genuine smile, her blank mask was useless when she was free in a state of unconscious. Kiba found that his own lips began to curve into a small smile. He suddenly caught himself and focussed on getting to sleep. According to Naruto, he'd be meeting his genin squad in the morning. That would be a new thing to adjust to, being a 'taken' man was going to be tricky enough. But now he'd have to be a teacher, letting out a tired sigh he closed his eyes and focussed on sleeping. He'd need his rest if his team was going to be anything like the genin class he was a part of when he was young.


	3. How's The Weather?

**How's the Weather?**

"Kiba-sensei!" The whiny voice of one of his students called out. "Can we take a break now?" He rubbed his forehead. They had only started the mission of helping out at a local farm and they were already moaning. Honestly it wasn't all that hard. If they whined like this how would they act if they went on harder missions. "Keep working or I'll be training your whiny little mouths into the ground straight after this mission- without breaks or food- until I'm satisfied." he told them severely. He worked them hard in training to make them stronger. "Hey Kiba-sensei! My neighbour says you're getting married!" The only female of the group, Mei spoke up, looking to him with curious blue eyes. Remaining in his place against the wooden posts of the fence his genin were fixing, he nodded. "Yeah, that's right. Why are you asking?" Mei shrugged.

"I was just wondering. What's she like?" she asked with a smile. The two boys looked at their sensei as well. He narrowed his eyes at all of them. "I don't see how it's any of your business. Stop wasting time and get back to work." Groans met his ears but he ignored them. He looked to Akamaru who lazed happily next to him, enjoying the sun- even though it was mid Autumn. Folding his arms, Kiba yawned and looked up at the morning sky. He'd had his squad for two weeks now and things were starting to fall back into a normal pace again, only Yukiko had changed things. She seemed to be settling into Konoha life and life at the Inuzuka estate. His family wanted the wedding to happen as soon as possible so they were already making preparations. Because it was a clan wedding, other clans and nobles from allied Countries also needed to be invited and have accommodations arranged for them too, luckily the estate was big enough.

By the time he got back to the estate it was nearly five in the afternoon. He was starving and headed straight for the kitchen, Akamaru closely at his heels. He was jus as hungry as Kiba, if not more so. He stopped to see Hana leaning against the counter, a hard line setting her lips. His sister's arms were folded tightly across her chest. She was angry. "Sis, what's wrong?" he asked. Snapping out of her angered daze, she looked up and shook her head. "Yukiko's father and siblings won't be coming. " she said. The announcement made his eyebrows rise before he frowned. "But she's…" he began and Hana nodded. "I know, but Yukiko told me they wouldn't be coming. Her father told her before she left or something." she shrugged. "It pisses me off but…there's nothing I can do about it." she said with a loud sigh. Kiba turned and followed his nose to find Yukiko in the garden staring silently at the different colours of the leaves. Some were already a dead brown but others were yellows, reds and oranges waiting to fall and gather on the green grass. He stared at her, not sure if she knew he was there or not. He was also unsure of how to start this particular conversation. "Do you know how many times it didn't snow last year in my country and I could see the sky?" she asked in her naturally willowy, neutral tone. Slowly she turned her head to look up at him and raise her hand to show her fingers, thumb curled to touch her palm. "Four times. And even then the sky wasn't blue like it is here…it was a pale, murky blue and it wasn't long before the snow fell again." she told him as he sat down on the decking with her. "Everything here is different; the sky changes and varies in weather and produces the most amazing colours. The animals and plants too… Back home nearly everything is white, the only real colour comes in the form of fabrics and paintings…I hate the colour white, you know." she said. Kiba stared at her, fascinated in what she had to say. Most spoke about the weather as a form of conversation when they couldn't think of anything to say. Yukiko spoke about it because she did have something to say about it. "Why do you hate white?" he found himself asking. "I've grown up around it. It's dull, sterile and lifeless. It has no depth to it really. It's a draining colour." she replied, looking at him while laying the back of her head against the wooden post of the beam behind her. "It does represent innocence and purity though…that's why wedding dresses are white." he told her suddenly. "True but white can represent sickness and death…which is what I'll look like if my wedding dress is completely white." she said looking down at her snow white skin. Kiba watched her and was reminded of Hana's announcement. "About the wedding…why isn't your family coming?" he asked, sounding annoyed and slightly angry. Yukiko continued to stare at her hand that lay against the emerald green fabric of her dress. "Because it isn't fair on them. It'll take a week's travelling, maybe more because the snow will be falling especially hard on the date your clan want us to marry. They'll have to settle in this heat- something my siblings might not be able to handle- for only a couple of days to stay for the wedding before they have to set off again. My father rules that city and the Southern area of the Snow Country. Getting him to abandon his duties for over two weeks is unreasonable and dangerous." she explained before looking up to him. "If you allow it, could we maybe visit them some time after the wedding?" Kiba was thrown, she was asking his permission if she could see her family? "You don't need to ask me for permission…" Yukiko continued to watch him silently, waiting for an actual answer. "Yes we will go back to your home sometime after the wedding." He saw the sparkling amethyst in her eyes soften and warm with gratitude. The corner of her mouth lifted into a shy smile. "Kiba, your food's out." Hana's voice called from the kitchen. Kiba called back to his sister that he'd be there in a moment and looked to see Yukiko already standing. "I won't keep you from your meal." she said before walking down the corridors and around the corner.

Three tiny figures made their way through the Konoha streets until they reached the part of town were all of the clan estates resided. The sound of multiple barks assured them that they had reached the right place. "This isn't a good idea Mei…" Shinji muttered as they made their way up the pathway to the front door. "He's late for our morning training. I said I'd get him on my own, but you all didn't want me seeing his wife without you." Mei said casually when they got to the steps. "But he hasn't married her yet so she might be living at her house. " Aki protested with a hiss.

"No, she lives with him, my neighbour said so." Mei corrected him as she rapped on the large wooden door. By the time the door opened, the three genin were bickering amongst themselves in hushed whispers and not looking at the door. "Can I help you?" a soft willowy voice sounded making them stop mid sentence and look up. The genin stared at Yukiko with wide eyes- she was pale and had no clan markings and young enough so she must have been their sensei's fiancée. The young boys blushed at her and stammered. Mei swallowed. "W-we wanted to know were Kiba-sensei was…we were meant to have training today and..." she trailed off when Akamaru appeared next to Yukiko. The large white dog yawned and stretched before padding over to the students. He sniffed them and barked happily. Yukiko stood to the side and opened the door fully, allowing the children to enter and led them to the living room. "Kiba is still sleeping so if you three wait here with Akamaru, I'll go and wake him." she told them as they sat down on the comfortable sofa with Akamaru taking up most of the space leisurely. Yukiko walked down the corridors of the large estate until she reached her and Kiba's room. Silently she opened the door and looked in, seeing Kiba lightly snoring on the bed; because she and Akamaru were no longer lying in it, he had chosen to sprawl out. "Kiba?" she asked in her usual tone. It gave her no reaction or movement in response. She walked a little more into the room until she stood at the bottom of the bed. "Kiba, you forgot about training…" she told him. This time Kiba groaned and moved, still sprawled out but now on his back. The covers were twisted and wrapped partly around one of his clothed legs; his muscular tanned chest was exposed to her. Yukiko couldn't help but stare. Since she came to Konoha she was usually asleep before Kiba even came to bed and up after he was. This was her first time seeing his chest- and the chest of any man too. Her gemlike eyes freely roamed over the expanse of his flesh, following every line. Forgetting what she'd come into the room for, she let curiosity over take her and pull her around to her edge of the bed. She knelt on her side of the mattress and leant over about to touch his skin when her wrist was caught. In a matter of seconds she found her wrist pinned next to her face while her other hand was pinned behind her back. Warmth of a strong body was hovering over back her as her front was pressed into the mattress beneath her. The side of her face moved against the pillow as she looked to see Kiba's eyes melt from caution to realization. His tense shoulders slumped and he quickly released her wrists. He sat back onto the heels of his feet, remaining crouched on the bed as he put his face in his hands. "God, I'm sorry Yukiko…you surprised me." he sighed as he rubbed his eyes before looking at her. She had moved so her back was facing the mattress and she had propped herself up on her elbows. "It wasn't my intention…" she told him. Her voice sounded different; not as neutral or as composed as he was used to. It sounded strained and slightly breathless. "Your students are here." she said suddenly. "Akamaru recognised them so I let them in." Kiba nodded, relieved she hadn't let them in until Akamaru sniffed them. Anyone could have disguised themselves as his students to launch a surprise attack. His stomach growled out. Looked like he wasn't going to get his food at the right time because of his team again. "You could train them here if you wanted. That way you could get your breakfast." Yukiko said, ignoring the noise. Kiba thought about it. His clan trained the dogs at the estate and the front garden was huge so it would be possible to train his squad while he had his breakfast.

"Run laps you guys." Kiba called to his squad that instantly whined out. "Just follow Akamaru until I tell you to stop." he explained as the dog barked and bounded onto the green grass and shot to the fence at the entrance to the estate. Kiba's students took off after their sensei's canine partner while their sensei sat on the porch outside the front door and ate his breakfast. As he ate he couldn't help but think to the incident in the bedroom with Yukiko. He had been dreaming peacefully, wrapped in the comfort and warmth of the bed. Now that he thought about it, he heard her voice breaking through his subconscious. His sharpened senses as a ninja took over him as he felt a silent presence approach and move to touch him. In his dreaming state which was filled of memories of past missions he thought he was really going to be attacked and acted without any hesitation. As he fell more and more into a more conscious and alert state he was shocked to see Yukiko beneath him as he hovered over her; his body almost touching hers. She had looked at him with surprise but something else danced in those stunning eyes, something he couldn't place just yet. He roughly ran his hand through his brown hair as he ate the last of his meal. His hands could still feel the soft skin of her hands. Her skin was cool and somehow soothing as it radiated into his warmer hand. Kiba looked up to see his students finally pass for the first time. "That's one lap." he called to them as he set his bowl and plate aside as he stretched out. This was good exercise for both them and Akamaru. It would also warm them up seeing as it was getting colder as Autumn was moving closer to winter.

"Tea?" the voice made him whip his head around to see Yukiko standing in front of the door frame of the large front door. Balanced in her hand was a tray with a tea pot and a few cups. In her other hand was a glass of water. "Yeah, thanks." Yukiko moved forward and knelt down, placing the tray between them. She set the water down and began to pour the tea into one of the cups before she passed it to Kiba. He took the steaming mug gratefully and held it in his hands as he looked at his students running. "Are you not cold?" Kiba asked, watching the young woman take another drink of the obviously cold liquid. "No, I'm fine. I'm too used to icy winds, blizzards and constant snow at my feet to consider this weather cold, with the way people are wrapped up I thought you'd be cold though." she told him. He watched her silently. She always seemed to be thinking of others and did things to benefit them, placing herself second-sometimes last- in terms of priorities. "Okay guys you can stop for a bit." he called to his squad who rushed over with Akamaru. "There's tea here if you all want some." Yukiko told them. The way they all advanced for the tray was a definite yes that they wanted some tea to warm up even after running around the estate's garden. "Yukiko-san, why are you so pale?" Aki asked suddenly looking up from his tea as he and his team-mates sat on the steps below their teacher and his future bride. She looked to the three curious faces. "Because I'm from the Snow Country and hadn't left my city until I met Kiba." she answered. "So I haven't been out in the sun a lot."

"Is that why you're wearing a skirt?" Shinji asked looking at the lavender long sleeved top she wore along with a black skirt that just reached the top of her calf. Yukiko looked at her clothes and then nodded slowly. Akamaru had been lounging happily behind Yukiko but suddenly sat up. The large dog put his front paws on her shoulders and nudged the back of her head affectionately before resting his chin on top of it. His tail wagged furiously and stared to the gate at the entrance of the estate. Kiba couldn't help but chuckle softly as Akamaru looked out for whoever was approaching. In a few moments Kurenai came walking up the pathway, a young boy with her. Yukiko and the three students looked to the woman who smiled warmly at the children briefly before looking to Yukiko. "Okay you three, time to continue training. Do you want to watch, Junior?" Kiba said, looking to Asuma Jr who cheered out and scrambled to climb onto Akamaru's back as the dog now stood next to Inuzuka. Yukiko watched as they all moved into the open area of the garden to train. She bowed her head to Kurenai in greeting before she moved to pour tea into the only unused cup left on the tray. Kurenai smiled and sat down next to her, thanking the young woman when she passed her the tea. "It's lovely to meet you, I'm Kurenai, Kiba's former sensei." she told the girl who produced a tiny smile and bowed again. "I'm Yukiko, it's an honour to meet you." Kurenai watched her silently, Shikamaru was right, she kept a calm and neutral expression at all times and didn't talk a lot.

"How are you settling in Konoha and with Kiba?" Kurenai asked. Yukiko looked at him as he trained his students and nodded before answering the woman's question. "I love the beauty of this country, everyone's been welcoming and the Inuzuka's had been accommodating and especially kind. Kiba's nice, I'm actually glad that my father picked him to be my husband." she said looking to Kurenai who tilted her head curiously, a silent way of telling her to continue. "Other countries have been pushing for years to have me but my father kept stalling; he didn't want me to marry someone who would treat me badly unless there was no choice and no one else to marry. Then when the Kazekage and Hokage both expressed an interest I persuaded my father to pick between either country. They are allied countries so there would be no hard feelings if either got me. In the end my father picked Konoha because of the many clans and because of who the Hokage is." Yukiko explained. Kurenai listened with a small smile. She had been angry at the news of Kiba being forced to marry for the purpose of securing an alliance with the Snow Country but now that she actually met the girl she was glad. She could have been forced to marry someone a lot older and cruel, unlike Kiba. "When are you due?" Yukiko asked. Kurenai's eyes widened at her. "W-what?" "Your baby, when is it due?" Yukiko said. "Not until the summer…but I haven't told anyone, apart from my husband, Asuma. How did you know?" Yukiko looked at Kurenai with soft eyes. "I've been able to tell since my mother was pregnant with my brother. Expecting mother's just tend to have a certain look and presence." she explained. "I won't tell Kiba. It's your news." she told the other woman who smiled warmly and took her hand, giving it a thankful squeeze.

"Your fiancée is really pretty Kiba-sensei…" Mei said looking over at Yukiko as she sat with Kurenai, her preteen face moving into an envious expression. Kiba looked at Mei and then over to his former teacher and bride-to-be before the boys in his squad commented. "She isn't really pretty Mei, she's a knock out babe." Shinji grinned. "You're lucky Kiba-sensei." Aki added with a nod before looking up at his teacher curiously. "She got a sister?" Kiba didn't know how to react. He closed his eyes and muttered out. "Yeah, she's got a little sister now enough talking, more training."

Kiba abruptly choked on his drink, sending him into a relentless coughing fit. His face was red and his eyes were watering as he struggled to get his breath back. "What?" he wheezed out, voice strained as he looked to Yukiko who blinked at him, face composed but eyebrows raised a slight fraction. "I asked if you wanted to invite your genin squad to the wedding." she repeated. "B-but you don't know them…" he said breathlessly. "To be honest I doubt I'll know any of the people coming that well if at all. Besides they are your students, Kurenai's son will be coming and he likes them. It wouldn't be fair if he had no one around his age to pass the time with. It's just a suggestion." she said lightly shrugging as she turned back to continue washing the dishes. "Since your family can't make it, are you going to invite any friends from your city?" he asked, seeing her hands still on the plate and dishcloth as they hovered over the surface of water in the sink. "No. No one will be attending from the city." she said. "I didn't have many friends growing up. And those I did have were adults. I spent my time with my mother, with the guards or outside by the lake. When I found out I'd be marrying someone, I was taught on how to be a wife. Those skills came in handy when my mother died. I had to act like the lady of the house and be a mother figure for my siblings. I think my father didn't want me making any friendships because it would be hard to say goodbye when I had to leave and also maybe because he didn't want me to form a romantic relationship with any males. He wanted to make my leaving as quick and painless as possible I think." she said before washing the plate and setting it on the side with the other cups, bowls and plates. Kiba stood and walked over to the counter next to the sink and leaned on it, turning his face to look at her before he asked her. "You've never had a boyfriend?" Yukiko looked at him, he could see a small tint of pink coming to her cheeks. "No." she replied, trying to look composed and neutral as she could but was beginning to fail as she suddenly found the bubbles in the water the most important thing to look at. Kiba grinned. "So you've never even been on a date?" She bit her lower lip as the pink deepened, Kiba found he liked to see a blush on her cheeks. "I guess that means you've never been kissed by another man either?" he suggested, grinning when the dark pink bled into crimson. Kiba turned his back to the counter, resting his elbows on the surface as he watched her. She slowly moved her head to look up at him. "Looks like you get the privilege of being the only man who can kiss and touch me then." Her comment caught him as images began to form in his mind, he could feel his own face beginning to heat up.

Suddenly cold water was flicked on his face making him jump and look to Yukiko accusingly. "You looked like you needed something to cool you down." she informed him simply. Kiba smirked, the expression on his face becoming predatory but playful. Yukiko picked up on the change and watched him silently. "Since you cooled me down, I should only repay the act. But your face was redder than the apples in the fruit bowl which means a mere flicking of water won't do." he told her as he stepped forward. Sensing he was going to do something, she retreated one step every time he advanced. Akamaru watched the two and got to his feet, barking and leaping around Kiba excitedly. Momentarily distracted, he looked to the dog and lightly pet his head. He heard the door quickly open and shut, looking up he saw that Yukiko had escaped. Using his ninja senses he heard her running. Grinning he took off after her. It wasn't long before he caught up to her. Smirking he leapt. One arm wrapped around her waist, effectively pinning her arms to her sides. He landed silently on his feet, holding Yukiko under his arm as he turned and headed to the wooden decking that surrounded most of the exterior of the house and continued out onto the grass as the sky darkened. "What are you doing?" Yukiko asked, only getting a deep rumbling chuckle in response. Her gaze fell from his face and to what was in front of them. Getting closer was a pond. "No…" she almost whispered before she began to struggle. Laughing, Kiba lifted her onto his shoulder. "I'll kill your fish if you drop me in there." she told him. Kiba grinned. "Not my fish, besides I told you I needed to cool you off since you were blushing so hard." he said simply stopping at the edge. Instantly he dropped her into the water. What he hadn't been expecting was as he dropped her, Yukiko wrapped her legs around Kiba's waist and caused him to fall in with her. Yukiko was the first to break out of the surface coughing and spluttering the pond water out of her mouth. She pushed her wet hair out of her face and climbed to sit on the edge of the pond as Kiba came up. Yukiko worked on ringing her hair and looked over, freezing. Kiba wiped his eyes and stopped seeing the expression on her face. Her lower lip was trembling and her shoulders began to shake. He frowned at her. "It was just a joke…" he told her, hoping he hadn't upset her. Yukiko shook her head and covered her mouth with her hands. Kiba was shocked when a noise came from behind her hands. It was high pitched, it sounded like a whine but he could definitely tell she was trying to keep it in. Her eyes glistened brightly now shiny with unshed tears. The emotion in the purple orbs was nothing but amusement. She was trying not to laugh. But not laugh at what was a complete mystery to him. As if on cue a large croak came from above him. That noise sent Yukiko over the edge as she burst out laughing. One hand fell to her stomach while the other planted itself in the ground behind her so she didn't fall over. Kiba found himself mesmerised by the sound and image. Yukiko's expression was youthful, happy and free. No mask hid her laughter or covered that face from what she was really feeling. In the weeks he'd known her, this was the first time she'd actually given in and shown someone what she was really feeling. And what did it take? Falling into a pond with her and having a frog on his head. He reached up and lifted the creature off before setting it into the water again as he moved to climb out. Slowly Yukiko's laughing calmed and she wiped the tears from her cheeks, suddenly stilling when she realised what she'd just done. "I laughed…" she muttered in shock. "I haven't laughed since I was little." she whispered. Kiba got to his feet and lifted her with him. "You are allowed to laugh and show your emotions Yukiko. You have a beautiful laugh and smile. You shouldn't hide it." he told her. Yukiko looked at him and nodded before looking at her drenched clothes, her top and skirt now clinging to her body. Kiba noticed and looked appreciatively. "Kiba?" Yukiko's soft voice tore his gaze away from her body to her face as she looked up at him. "Kiba…would you…kiss me?" she asked.


	4. Innocence

**Innocence**

Kiba thought he had misheard her and checked if water was in his ears, just to be sure he looked at her with stunned eyes. "C-can you say that again?" he asked. "Would you kiss me?" Yukiko repeated, pressing her lips together as she looked down before taking a slow breath and began to speak. "I know how the wedding ceremony goes for the Inuzuka clan and I don't want that to be my first memory of us being that close…" she explained. Kiba stiffened slightly as he remembered the process of an Inuzuka wedding. The ceremony was similar to other ceremonies except that before the kiss came a far more important element…the marking. After swearing themselves to each other, the Inuzuka then had to mark his or her mate by biting them at the juncture of their neck and shoulder and place a small amount of chakra into them. This meant that the physical bruising of the mark would fade over time but the mark itself would permanently remain on the mate. For someone who'd never experienced any sort of intimate exchanges with a man, he could see why she didn't want her first memory to be one of pain. Kiba stood closer and placed one of his hands on her tiny waist while the other lightly pinched her chin and guided her to look up at him. Yukiko remained still and locked her eyes with him as he moved closer. She took a small intake of breath when his lips captured hers and her eyes slid closed. Unsure what came over her, she placed one hand over his hand that held her chin and the other rested on his upper arm. Timidly she kissed him back, still having no idea what she was doing but knew it felt good. Kiba slid his arm further around his waist to pull her even closer. Her cool lips against his warm ones was a strange but pleasant feeling. The moment he had kissed her, thoughts that had struck him earlier came strongly and more vividly. He wanted more of her and began to kiss Yukiko a little deeper and insistently. At the change of the kiss Yukiko moaned, too into the kiss to realise she'd done it. Slowly Kiba pulled away, keeping his hands on her to keep her steady. Slowly her eyes opened and she looked at him, almost as if she was in a slight daze. Her breathing was a little quick and even in the darkness he could still see her cheeks painted a soft pink. "Are you sure you've never kissed someone before?" he asked giving her his usual toothy smirk. Yukiko composed her breathing and gave him a soft smile. "I'm very sure. Thank you for doing it Kiba." she said. Kiba chuckled. "My pleasure, just glad you asked me. Every guy in Konoha would jump at the chance to kiss a gorgeous woman like you." he said as he led her back to the house. "Come on. We should probably get showered and get ready for bed. Don't want to get sick from being in wet clothes." he said. Yukiko stared at Kiba silently, her cheeks blazing red at him calling her gorgeous. When they were back in their room, Yukiko headed to the bathroom of the en-suite. She stopped and the door way and looked to the Inuzuka who was preparing to go to a bathroom down the hall. "Kiba…" she said softly. Kiba looked up at her. "yeah?" Yukiko looked down, finding the wooden door frame more interesting to look at than meet his gaze. "You said that you were glad that I asked you to kiss me…you do know that I wouldn't ask anyone else, don't you?" she asked in a melodic murmur. Kiba was frozen as she closed the door. Even long after the sound of water came, he was still there. As he slowly came to his senses he glanced at his reflection to see he was blushing. "What the hell?" he muttered in shock. He hadn't blushed in years! And he'd never blushed at such a simple statement before. There was no underlying meaning. Growling he turned and left the room while fiercely running his hand through his hair. What the hell was wrong with him? It was well known that Kiba liked…no loved women. He'd dated so many that he lost count but never had one made him blush before. So why was Yukiko different? Was it because she was going to be his wife? His thoughts went back to how she looked in the doorway, halfway hidden behind the door. He could still see the long black lashes caress her cheek as she fixed her amethyst gaze on the door frame, her pale fingertips moving in tiny motions on the smooth wood as she spoke to him. The memory of her pale lips brought back the vivid one of their kiss. The coolness of them, the softness of them…how timid she was at having her first kiss. It all appealed to him. She was so innocent. And she was all his. Was that it? Was it the fact this young woman was so untouched, innocent and pure in every way that made him act differently? Sighing he entered the bathroom and locked the door behind him to shower and ready for bed. He had taken so long that when he re-entered the bedroom, Yukiko was sound asleep.

His brown eyes swept over her sleeping frame, the duvet lay over her waist as she was curled up on her side, one arm tucked under her pillow and the other down her side, hand resting on her covered leg. He glanced at the door as it opened slowly. Akamaru looked at him and yawned before padding to the bed and climbing up. The large animal lay near the bottom of the bed and stretched out. His large head lay down on Yukiko's legs. Smirking, Kiba sat down on his edge of the bed and prepared to lie down when a small amount of smoke and chakra signature burst into his room. Glancing at the clock and then at the ANBU in the bull mask he slowly got to his feet. "The Hokage urgently needs you for a mission. Be in his office within twenty minutes." the male voice reported. Kiba nodded and set about getting changed into his ninja gear. As he pulled on a clean shirt, he looked over to see the ANBU still in the room, the mask covered face pointed towards Yukiko's sleeping figure in the bed. "You are one lucky man, Inuzuka. How do you get so many hot girls?" the male asked. Kiba glared.

"You've given your message so you can leave now, Jin." he said in a harsh voice. Jin chuckled, he'd given his message so now he could act himself. "Someone's a little protective of his current girl. She that good? Can I have her number when you're finished with her?" Jin asked and Kiba could tell he was grinning. He could smell Jin's attraction, something that really did not sit well with the man. Kiba stepped up the to ANBU, being taller than Jin helped get his point across when he practically snarled. "Don't talk about my fiancée like that Jin." The smell from the man suddenly turned to one of fear. Satisfied, Kiba released Jin and moved around to Yukiko's side of the bed and gently shook her awake. Sleepily, she stretched and frowned before opening her eyes to stare disorientated at Kiba. "I have a mission to go on. I'll have the briefing and come back to let you know how long I'll be gone for okay?" he informed her. As his words registered, her purple orbs sharpened and became clearer. Slowly she sat up and rubbed her eyes. Silently she looked at Jin who merely bowed. When Kiba was dressed, they left, leaving Yukiko to sit and wait.

"I mean I can't believe you….YOU! The ladies man, Kiba Inuzuka is going to settle down and marry!" Jin exclaimed, still unable to absorb the information entirely. Kiba sighed loudly. "Look I'd have to marry sooner or later, you know clan law and stuff so to be honest I didn't have a say in the matter."

"So she was picked for you by your mother or elders?"

"No, our dear Hokage picked me to marry her so we'd have a stronger alliance with Snow Country. My mother and the elders agreed to it. Can we drop the subject now?"

"For it being arranged you got pretty intense back there when you all but bit my hand for looking at her. "

"Because of what you were saying about her…besides it's an Inuzuka thing. We get pretty territorial and protective of who we marry."

"You mean your 'mate'?"

"Yes, now stop talking about it." Kiba said as they neared the Hokage Mansion, a light coming from the office told Kiba that Naruto was still there, whether he was still awake or not was a different matter entirely. When they entered the office, Naruto was slumped over the desk, snoring and drooling on a letter to the Mizukage. Sighing, Kiba looked to Akamaru and jerked his head towards the sleeping Hokage. Wagging his tail, Akamaru padded over to the chair and let out a few loud barks. Naruto's eyes snapped open and he threw himself back, looking around in sleepy confusion. "You sent for me, oh amazing Hokage?" Kiba drawled with a toothy grin. Gathering his wits, Naruto rubs his eyes and yawns. "Oh yeah, there's a mission for you." he began, lifting and sorting through the vast amounts of paper and scrolls on his desk until he found the right one. Reading over it, to make sure it was for Kiba he nodded to himself and past it over. Taking the scroll, Kiba looked it over. "Who's my partner going to be?" he asked.

"Anyone you want except for Hinata." Naruto yawned, sitting back. "You'll be about three weeks. One week for travelling, one for the mission itself- if all goes well- and one coming back." Kiba closed the scroll and nodded. "I'll take Ino." The blonde nodded at the decision and stood, yawning once more. With nothing else to say, they all parted ways; Naruto back to his bed, Jin back to his patrol around the mansion for another couple of hours and Kiba off to find Ino and let her know about the mission.

Thankfully the kunoichi was still up, unfortunately the film she'd stayed up to watch was now being interrupted because of him and the mission. Kiba sighed, regretting now that he'd picked Ino to pair with him on this mission. Apologizing, he passed her the mission scroll to read over while she packed. He walked to the door and told her he'd meet her at the gates in half an hour. With that, he left and headed to the estate to let Yukiko know. "It's an easy mission, it's just the location that's taking up most of the time." He informed her after saying he'd be gone for at least three weeks. Amethyst eyes met his gaze silently and she nodded. "Thank you for telling me." was her only reply. Kiba gave her a small smile and went to look under the bed to look for his backpack, only to frown when he couldn't find it. "I already packed for you while you were gone." a soft voice came causing Kiba to jump and bang his head on the bed frame. Slowly he rose, rubbing his sore scalp and looked to Yukiko in surprise. "I wasn't sure how long you'd be gone for so I might haven't packed the right amount change of clothes for you…" she continued, looking to the dresser where he kept most of his ninja gear; including weapons. Kiba looked around and spotted his pack sitting against the wall closest to the doorframe. Why he hadn't noticed it on his way into the room, he didn't know. Smiling, Kiba turned and approached Yukiko who was beginning to open one of the drawers at his dresser to get more clothes to pack. She looked up at him silently. His large hands covered her small ones, halting them. His gaze looked over her face silently. Gently he pulled her hands away from the object but kept them in his grasp. "You've done enough for me, Yukiko." he told her warmly and thankfully. Kiba began to walk forwards, causing him to make Yukiko walk backwards until she her legs made contact with the bed. "It's late and you look tired. So lie down and go to sleep okay? I don't want ma to lecture me if you get sick." he said lightly but in a soft, deep voice. Yukiko nodded. "Be careful." she told him. Kiba smirked and leaned in. Without thinking he planted a kiss on her forehead. "Only if you be good." he replied when he pulled away, grinning when he noticed she was blushing at his sudden action. Swallowing, Yukiko looked at him. "I will…"

"Then so will I." he answered before giving her hands a quick squeeze before releasing them. Akamaru barked and leapt up onto the bed as Yukiko sat down and began to lick her face as a goodbye. Smiling slightly-which was a lot for her-, Yukiko rubbed the dog's head and scratched his ears in order to calm him. Akamaru nuzzled his head against Yukiko before leaping off of the bed to join Kiba and set off on their mission. Wiping the saliva from her face, Yukiko lay down and prepared to get back to sleep while letting her fingertips softly move over her forehead where Kiba had just kissed her. Her lips twitched slightly and her cheeks tinged with a soft pink as she rolled over and fell swiftly back to sleep.

"Two weeks and three days. You two are as bad as Sasuke and Bushy brows when I send them on missions. I say it should be a week their back before then…" Naruto sighed as he sat back in his seat with a sly fox like grin. "But you got the job done so I'll let you two go on and do what you were in a hurry to return for…" he teased. Ino scoffed and rolled her eyes at him while Kiba yawned. Naruto frowned at them. "I thought you two would have been more excited, or have you forgotten?" Ino arched her eyebrow at the other blonde and looked to Kiba who looked equally confused.

"Okay Kiba I can understand, but Ino I thought you would have gone straight to the Inuzuka estate and left the report to Kiba." Ino's turquoise eyes narrowed and suddenly grew wide. "Of course! Later." she grinned before making a hand sign and disappearing in a cloud of smoke. Kiba frowned again and looked to Naruto.

"Why is she so excited to get to my house?"

"Today's when Yukiko's trying on possible wedding dresses…weren't you told?" Naruto asked. Kiba shook his head. He knew the elders and mother wanted the preparations taken care of as soon as possible but he thought it was a little too early for dresses. A sense of dread came over him. What if they were going to make him go to fittings too? At times he didn't feel like he was getting married at all, he was rarely consulted on the planning unless they really needed him to be a part of it. He sighed and looked to Naruto who grinned. "Aren't you going over there to peak? Maybe give your opinion?" he suggested. Kiba narrowed his eyes at his supposed Hokage. "Whatever, I'm outta here. Are you going out for a drink tonight? You know if Hinata allows you?" he asked. Naruto grinned and pointed to the Hokage's hat on his head. "I'm the boss here, not Hinata." Kiba's eyebrows rose slightly.

"That so? I'll give Hinata the message when I see her, later." he grinned as he shout the door, blocking out Naruto's yells for him to come back and that he didn't really mean it. When he reached the Inuzuka estate he was surprised to see Shinji, Aki and Asuma Jr. in the front garden playing some sort of chasing game with Shino watching them from the porch. "What are you all doing here?" he asked. Shino looked up at him. "Wedding dresses aren't my thing so I'm looking after those three rather than one of the girls do it." Kiba nodded and sat down on the wooden platform next to his best friend. "I've been gone for weeks and just want to nap, but I take it I can't?" he guessed, groaning when Shino nodded. "Yukiko's changing in your room." Yawning, Kiba lay back and stretched out. Closing his eyes, he began to focus on his other senses. He could hear a group in the living room, all female and in good spirits. The occasional little giggle as one voice began to tell the others a story. Soon they all chorused their own laughs at the end. Her could smell all of the different scents of those in his home; Ino, Hinata, Sakura, Ten Ten, his mother, Hana, Mei and some family members were currently in the living room. Kiba frowned, unable to detect the smell of violets and jasmine; Yukiko's natural scent. Focussing more on her alone he finally caught her in their bedroom. Forgetting everything else he listened to his fiancée. The rustling of fabric and what sounded like jumping along with Yukiko's occasional gasp or sharp exhale made him curious. Kiba opened his eyes as he felt Akamaru bound up the steps and across the porch before he nudged the front door open. Rolling onto his stomach, he watched his door pad silently down the hall and turn down the corner, disappearing out of sight. Getting to his feet, and stretching his arms, the Inuzuka entered the house as silently as his canine companion and followed him.

Kiba grinned when he spotted Akamaru sitting outside their bedroom. The animal tilted his head curiously at the wooden surface in front of him as a thud and 'oof' sounded from the other side. With raised eyebrows, Kiba walked forward, rapped once on the door before entering.

He had seen a lot of things, but he'd never seen anything like this before. The room was covered in dresses made up of multiple fabrics and shapes, in multiple shades of white, cream and silvers. Kiba blinked and frowned, unable to find Yukiko amongst the blanket of mass fabric and frills. Running his hand through his hair, he cautiously stepped into the room. A slightly movement from where his bed was supposed to be caught his attention. Getting closer, he chuckled when he spotted a pair of legs coming out of the bottom of a dress and a pair of arms sticking out of the top. "Not to point out the obvious, but I don't think that's how you're meant to wear it…" he began casually, leaning against the visible part of his wardrobe and folded his arms across chest. "You're back early…" was his only muffled reply.

"It looks as though I got back just in time, need help?" he asked with a laugh. A movement from his currently headless fiancée told him yes and he approached the bed. Slowly, Yukiko rolled onto her stomach, planted her feet on the floor and began to rise. Sensing she was having some trouble with even this, he placed his hands on -what he hoped was- her waist and straightened her. With her now steady, he could see what caused her to get into such a state. The zipper was awkwardly placed and the dress had somehow twisted to the right when Yukiko was putting it on. Some of her pale blonde hair had gotten snagged on the hook at the top of the zip. All of this adding in the fact that her face was covered had been the cause for her to fall over and onto the bed. Looking it over, he began to untangle her hair from the hook. As he worked on her hair, he took a moment to look over the dress. It was a halter top design with the bodice form fitting, the skirt however was large and had multiple layers underneath. A design was embroidered in beads along the waist and up the right side of her body before it spiralled around the skirt. Finally her hair came free from the metallic clasp. He took a step back to give her some space. Yukiko stretched her arms out and lowered them to push the dress down. Kiba watched as her face appeared from out of the white fabric. She ran her fingers through her soft locks and pulled it free from the straps. Continuing down, her hands fixed and straightened the garment. Kiba watched her silently as she twisted and looked for the zip. Unable to get a firm enough grasp on it, she looked over her shoulder at him. "Could you close this, please?" she asked softly. Nodding, Kiba approached her again. Placing one hand firmly on her waist, he held the zipper and slowly pulled it up, the action causing his knuckle graze the bare skin of her back. He paused when he felt Yukiko tense slightly but relax again. Kiba fought to keep the smirk from his lips. "Okay, all done." he announced, letting his hands drop and allowing Yukiko to turn and face him properly. Her lips briefly curved upwards and she gave him a small nod before she headed towards the door.

Frowning, Kiba caught her arm and spun her around to face him again. Surprise flashed in her amethyst eyes as she caught his focussed gaze. Keeping hold of her arm, his free hand lightly tilted her head up. "You haven't been sleeping." he stated. Yukiko remained were she stood and blinked once before answering. "I have, just not well…" she said, her hand touching the dark circles under her eyes that she'd tried to hide under makeup. "Is there a reason for that?" he questioned. She lowered her gaze. "Yukiko? Did a clan member say something?" he pressed, remembering a certain male clan member that questioned her harshly the first time she came to the village. "No, nothing happened. I just couldn't sleep properly…while you were gone." Yukiko finally answered after a few tense moments. Silently, Yukiko looked up at him and Kiba could only stare back. What did she mean by that? Did she miss him? Was she so used to sleeping next to him that being without him for a week messed up her sleep pattern? "Well this explains everything…" an amused voice broke through his thoughts. Snapping his head around he saw Sakura leaning against the doorframe with a grin. "Kiba it's bad luck to see the bride in her dress before the wedding, you know…" she teased. The Inuzuka looked back at Yukiko and grinned. "I know but that's not the dress she'll be wearing so it's fine, right?" Both women blinked at him and Sakura frowned. "Why not? it's gorgeous on her! Don't tell me you're going to be some bossy husband Kiba." The Inuzuka rolled his eyes as he began to walk out of the room. "I didn't say it wasn't Sakura, it's just not right."

"Let me guess, you want low cut, short skirt sort of dress?" Sakura asked sarcastically.

"No, the dress isn't Yukiko's. It's more Ino's style and besides…" he stopped to look back at Yukiko. "The dress is white." He gave Yukiko a smile and ruffled Sakura's hair as he headed into the hall.

"Hold on a moment, Yukiko!" he heard Sakura call before he felt her presence get closer to him. "What do you mean the dress is white! Of course it is, it's a wedding dress. They're meant to be." the pink haired medic informed him like he was a child. Kiba sighed and stopped in the hall, halfway between his room and the living room. "I am aware of that Sakura but haven't you noticed Yukiko's skin tone? A pure white dress wouldn't suit her. And there's another reason why the dress can't be white."

Sakura froze and her mouth slowly parted in shock. "Kiba…. You PIG! H-how could you! You couldn't even wait a few months until you were married?" she shouted. Kiba's eyes grew wide as he realised what Sakura thought he meant. "No! NO! You've got it wrong! I haven't done anything like that, get your head out of the gutter Sakura." he snapped and let out an annoyed sigh. "What I meant was that Yukiko hates the colour white." A strange look passed Sakura's face as she absorbed the information. Kiba sighed and turned. "I'll be back later…" he muttered before leaving out the back with Akamaru by his side.

From the kitchen, Tsume and Hana looked at each other, having heard the exchange. Hana smirked at her smug looking mother. "You were right…" she laughed as she placed the cups on the tray. Tsume let out a barking laugh. "Well I hoped I'd be. Otherwise I might have had to hit him around the head." she grinned. Hana shook her head and laughed. Her mother had overheard Yukiko and Kiba talking the day they found out her family wouldn't be attending the wedding. The curious bit of information she picked up on was Yukiko's dislike for white and how she wasn't fond of a white wedding dress. For the whole day, Tsume and Hana had been insisting that she try on white dresses, having a feeling that Kiba would turn up sooner or later. Being doglike they could tell he was arriving home early. Tsume figured that if Kiba noticed Yukiko in a white dress he would speak up especially since his bride to be was raised to not speak out of turn so wouldn't say anything on the colour herself.

"I wish Yukiko would have told us herself while she was trying on the dresses…" Hana sighed as she and her mother waited for the water to finish boiling.

"We can't expect her to. She's been raised and conditioned to be the perfect little trophy wife. Voicing her feelings and complaints without sounding diplomatic is probably something that won't happen for a while. Hell I haven't even heard the girl properly laugh or give a proper smile. It's said to think she could have had a very different outcome in all of this arranged marriage business."

"Mmmm and Kiba would still be out with a different girl every night." Hana mused before snickering. "I can't believe Sakura thought he and Yukiko…"

"Well who could blame her for thinking that? My son hasn't always been the best at using his words and he isn't exactly an innocent little virgin. I'm surprised he's lasted this long without making a move on her." Tsume replied before looking to the kettle. "Well come on, let's get this tea out to the others and start looking for a real wedding dress."

Kiba yawned loudly as he entered the Inuzuka estate. It had been a long day. He hadn't been able to return in case he ran in on more wedding dress related situations. Rolling his shoulder he glanced at the clock and sighed, he'd ran into Shikamaru who kindly told him since he was back early, he would resume training his team again in the morning. Cracking his neck, he entered his bedroom to stop and see Yukiko sitting up in the bed, lamp on and a book in her hands. Silently, he closed the book and settled down on the bed. Kiba changed and climbed into the bed. He leaned over to turn off the lamp, briefly looking down to see that his upper half was hovering over Yukiko. Clearing his throat and thoughts from his head. Since his slight confrontation with Sakura and her misunderstanding, she'd unintentionally caused him to think more about himself and Yukiko and what would happen after their wedding. When the light turned off and the room filled with darkness, Kiba lay back and shifted into a comfortable position. He stilled when he felt something soft and cool touch his arm. His sharpened senses had already adjusted to the darkness enough to make out Yukiko's form and her bright eyes looking in his direction. "Thank you, for earlier. If you want me to wear white I will, I don't want people to get the wrong idea about you." About him? Kiba let out a chuckle.

"Stop thinking like that, I'm not the one that's wearing the dress so wear the one you love and I know you don't like white so don't be wearing that for the sake of others and what they think about me or you. Okay?" Yukiko was silent for a moment. "Yes. Still, thank you for telling Sakura…" Kiba nodded and lightly ruffled her hair. "No problem, goodnight." he smirked before yawning.

"Goodnight." Yukiko answered softly before closing her eyes and slowly began to drift asleep.

"Where's Akamaru?" Kiba suddenly asked, noticing a lack of weight on his legs. The Inuzuka sat up and looked around. His canine had left him sometime before it got dark and he figured he returned home to get food. Now he wasn't so sure. Light filled the room again, Kiba looked over as Yukiko began to climb out of the bed. "I'll help you look for him." As she reached for her dressing gown the sound of multiple howls and barks broke through the air.

Kiba lifted his head and headed to the window. He opened the glass and sniffed the air as the howls and barks continued and got louder. All of the dogs on the estate were up and making the noise. That could only mean one thing; an important Inuzuka was coming. Since their clan was so large, many Inuzuka's lived scattered around the Fire Country and very few could get this reaction from the dogs seeing as this was the main estate where the Alpha of all the clan lived. And Kiba could only think of one person in particular. A tense knot began to form in his stomach and he cast his gaze over to Yukiko. He was meant to return after Christmas but he guessed the engagement was enough reason for him to come home early. Just how would an innocent, young woman like Yukiko fare against a sour, jaded and virtually unimpressed man like his Grandfather and former Alpha of the Inuzukas?


	5. Shall We Play?

_**AN: Okay, I just want to say a huge huge HUGE thank you to everyone that has read this story, put alerts on it, favourited it and reviewed it! You have no idea how much it means to me to see such a positive response to it at such an early stage. I want to personally thank heartsxkisses who has been a follower and reviewer of this story since i posted the first chapter. I love that you review every installment and like the story so far. Also to Skwiziks. Your in-depth review did not go unnoticed ^_^ thank you for your comments on everything. I've taken your advise on board and tried to space things out a little more to make everything easier on the eyes, it was something I hadn't noticed. As for Aki, Shinji and Mei getting more chapter time and you getting to know them more, fear not! They will be featured more hopefully in the next chapter. I do plan on using these three in future events and just having them around in general to mess with Kiba and what not.**_

_**Also, I know I broke my streak of updating every day but my mum's birthday came up and my sister and I were preparing a lot of surprises for her and I had a college assignment to get finished for assesment before Halloween break started. But fear not my lovelies. I am off for a whole week so all being well and how much writing I can get done, there will be a chapter posted everyday( maybe two it the creative juices flow...and I'm up sometime before the afternoon) Well now let's get back to the story shall we? Enjoy ^_^**_

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><p><strong>Shall We Play?<strong>

Sonzo Inuzuka was in a lot of ways like his name suggested; a statue. He rarely showed emotion; even in his youth according to most Inuzukas that knew him back then. Even in his old age, he had a fierce, strong presence. His hair was spiked like most of the males (and some females), only a little longer and grey with white flecked through it. His dark brown eyes were just as sharp as a man half his age, but had a bored, apathetic glint to them. He strode down the pathway, the dogs of the Inuzuka clan barking and howling in greeting to him and his faithful companion, Aomaru. From the day he was born, the dog had a grey coat with a blue hint so the name suited him. Sonzo looked at the large white dog that had come to greet them. His grandson, Kiba's partner. In his eyes both were pups but with the size the beast was it was impressive and a good sign, not that he'd say it out loud of course. When the pair reached the door, the dogs stopped their noisy greeting. The door opened as he climbed the steps to show his daughter Tsume. Grinning, she stepped forward and embraced him. Sonzo rolled his eyes but returned the gesture. As much as a statue he resembled he did have feelings and loved his daughter dearly, so he'd grant her a hug tonight.

"I hear our future alpha has a bride." he began evenly. Tsume quirked an eyebrow at him.

"Is that your reason for rushing home?" she teased.

"I didn't rush home. My ill friend made a swifter recovery than originally anticipated so I returned and heard the news on my journey." he corrected as he walked into the living room and sat down. A new scent came to him. "Violets and lavender…" he stated. Tsume looked at her father and smiled as she sat down. "That must be Yukiko's scent. Nice isn't it?"

"Makes a change to dry food and dog piss that you smell around here…" he stated dryly, gaining a laugh from the woman opposite him. "Is she awake?" Tsume tilted her head at her father and looked to Kuromaru and nodded. The black dog rose to its feet and left the room to check. "Where's Hana?"

"Out, she'll be home sometime tomorrow after work or briefly in the morning depending on when she rises." Sonzo looked over as Kuromaru returned.

"The young princess fell asleep not so long ago, Kiba too." he reported.

"A princess?" he repeated with a small snort. "How honoured our clan must be to have acquired such a gem." he said sarcastically. Tsume sighed at her father.

"She's a nice girl, dad. Try to go easy on her tomorrow, okay?" she requested. A wave of the hand was her only response before the man rose. "I will see you in the morning."

"Yes, but Kiba is training his genin team tomorrow and I have a mission. It will just be yourself and Yukiko. Together all day, which is why I'm asking you to be kind to her or at least try to." Tsume place her hand on her father's arm before smiling and leaving to her room while Sonzo did the same.

The next morning, Kiba awoke bright and early- something he disliked greatly- he lay staring at the ceiling and sighed. He didn't want to rise, if he did he'd have to talk to his grandfather sooner or later. It wasn't that he disliked his grandfather, it was just the older man was hard to talk to and get a good understanding of. Rubbing his head, he reasoned that he'd be training his team most of the day so he'd be out of the house. Hana was working too so she wouldn't be back until dinner. He recalled his mother mentioning something about having plans as well, which left… Kiba turned his head to see Yukiko sleeping on her side. She would have to spend the day alone with his grandfather, and as much as Kiba wanted to prevent that from happening, he knew he couldn't. Sonzo would find a way to speak with her alone at some point so there was no way to avoid it. He had contemplated telling her the night before, but he couldn't. He passed off the dogs barking as Akamaru returning and relaxed when she accepted his lie and returned to bed. When he had been drifting off to sleep, he sensed Kuromaru enter the bedroom but Kiba ignored the dog, it was better that way. And now here he lay, having no motivation to get up because he knew that his grandfather was already up and in the dining room, having his breakfast. A low groan sounded from next to him and he felt the covers shift. Glancing over at Yukiko, Kiba watched her stretch out and curl up again. Slowly she took a long yawn and opened her eyes. Blinking a few times, she felt Kiba staring at her and she looked up at him.

"Morning." Kiba greeted before yawning. Yukiko sat up in the bed as she wished him a good morning and lightly scratched Akamaru's ears.

"You'll be on your own for most of today." Kiba began as he climbed out of the bed and stretched. He sensed Yukiko stop her movements- much to Akamaru's disappointment- and turned to see the woman looking at the bedroom door. Kiba followed her gaze to see a piece of paper stuck to the wood. Frowning, Kiba walked over and pulled it off of the wooden surface. Unfolding the sheet he read over it.

_"Grandfather wants to see both Yukiko and yourself as soon as you are awake.  
><em>_Don't try to get out of it or sneak out! I have a mission and will be gone for two weeks.  
><em>_BEHAVE!  
><em>_-Mum"_

Kiba rolled his eyes as he read the note and threw it into the bin on the opposite side of the room. "There's someone you need to meet." he said meeting Yukiko's gaze briefly. She nodded and climbed out of the bed, Akamaru following the pair as they walked out of the room and to the dining room.

Yukiko stayed behind Kiba as they walked, silently wondering who she needed to meet. As they entered the dining room she spotted the older gentleman sitting at the end of the table reserved only for the main family or alpha. She stopped while Kiba and Akamaru continued on to the top of the table to join the man who looked solely at her. His eyes were sharp and critical, piercing her. Yukiko clasped her hands together and bowed low to him, not uttering a word. "Did you tell her to do that?" she heard the man ask Kiba who clicked his tongue in clear annoyance. Yukiko straightened but stayed standing in her place, keeping her eyes lowered slightly. She looked silently as a large dog approached her. His fur was a grey with blue hue; something she found to be appealing and interesting. The animal circled her with exaggerated slowness, its black eyes fixed on her; almost hungrily. A gravely laugh that held more sarcasm than it did humour drifted its way towards the engaged woman. "Want to pet him?" the man asked her.

Her amethyst eyes flickered over to Kiba who was staring at his elder in annoyance. Chocolate brown eyes were narrowed and his bare arms were folded tightly across his chest. "Grandfather, leave her be. It's too early in the morning for this." He spoke up. Immediately Kiba's grandfather whipped his head around to stare pointedly at his grandson. The two said nothing as they remained unmoving and staring at each other. If it hadn't been for the steady rise and fall of their chests, Yukiko would have thought them to be very lifelike statues. "Yukiko, this is your home, you don't need to be invited or told to sit down." Kiba addressed her, his voice softer than the tone he'd used to speak to his grandfather. Yukiko looked from one male to the other, unsure of how to approach. She could feel the tension and conflict radiating from both of them; some sort of former alpha versus future alpha rivalry or something similar she thought. It looked like they both wanted to say something but not in her presence. Yukiko needed a way to excuse herself without seeming rude and then she spotted it. When she had entered, she looked to the table first and noticed there wasn't any tea out. Bowing again to both of them this time, she turned and left the dining room to go to the kitchen and make the drinks for them all.

Kiba listened to Yukiko leave in the direction of the kitchen. Her sweet scent of violets and lavender slowly faded as she got further from the room. "You picked a real conversationalist pup." Sonzo stated. "I thought my ears were going to fall off." he continued in a dry tone. Kiba scoffed.

"She's been raised to be like that and you know very well the circumstances of the engagement. Stop trying to piss me off gramps and leave Yukiko alone." Kiba replied just as dryly. Sonzo smirked.

"Well haven't you matured? I should bow down to you and feed you compliments to boost your ego now, correct? You aren't alpha yet boy, so don't order me around." His grandfather snarled bitterly. "I can talk to the girl if I wish. Based on first impressions I'd say she's a meek, frail little child that's been sheltered and raised to take orders instead of think or act for herself. How she'll bare you strong heirs is beyond me. Hell if she even gives you one child, runt or not it might be a miracle."

Kiba felt his anger rising at his grandfather's words. He knew what he was like and as a child he snapped too early to the elder's bitter, biting words. As he got older he slowly began to restrain himself. But now he felt like that child again, his grandfather had broken through his strong will and armour in one quick instant. Hands balled so tightly he almost drew blood, Kiba was about to rise and yell at the old man but stopped and looked around as the door opened and Yukiko re-entered with a tray of tea balanced on one hand as she pushed the door open with the other. She approached the top of the table and placed the tray between the two males and poured. Lifting the first cup, Yukiko turned and offered it to Sonzo.

The elderly man looked at the cup and then at the girl's face. Her face was a perfect mask, hard to read. Despite what he said to Kiba, he truthfully had no real first impression of the future bride at all. Her ability to hide her emotions reminded him of himself. Nodding briefly, he took the cup and took a sip. Jasmine tea. Usually meant to calm someone. His dark eyes glanced to the side to see the young woman offer the second cup to her intended husband. Kiba took it, offering her a small smile. Sonzo's eyes flickered to Yukiko's face to see her lips briefly turn up before falling back into their usual place. With both men served their tea, Yukiko poured a cup for herself before sitting down next to Kiba. The entire breakfast was silent, tense and awkward for him his gaze flickered to his fiancée. Yukiko ate in silence, as usual and rarely lifted her head to make eye contact with the other two at the table. If she was unnerved by his grandfather's pointed stare, she didn't show it. As much as he didn't want to, Kiba drew out his time at the table. Anything to prolong having to leave. He didn't want to leave Yukiko alone with his grandfather.

"Kiba, you have training with your genin squad today, correct? As their mentor shouldn't you make an example and get there on time?" Sonzo asked, looking to his grandson with his normal bored expression. Clenching his jaw, Kiba ground out an irritated 'yes' before slowly rising, only to frown when his grandfather rose too and headed towards the door. "Where are you going?"

"To shower and then change. I can't be in my pyjama's all day Kiba." Sonzo replied before disappearing down the hall. When the man was far enough away, Kiba let out a long, groan and roughly ran his fingers through his hair. "That man is so…" he trailed off with a growl. Sighing loudly, he looked to Yukiko who was now gathering the dirty plates and cups onto the tray she'd brought in. "I'm sorry that you're going to be on your own with him all day. He isn't the easiest person to get along with." he muttered while scratching Akamaru's head.

"You don't need to apologise. I'm looking forward to it." Yukiko spoke softly as she continued a chore that she didn't need to do. Kiba looked at her as though she'd revealed something unbelievable like she found Gai sensei sexy. Glancing up at him, Kiba saw honesty shining in those bright purple orbs. "Why?" Kiba asked.

"He seems interesting, and being secluded from people most of my life has made me appreciative of most forms of company. Also he's your family and soon he'll be mine, I want to get to know him if he'll let me." The Inuzuka blinked at her explanation. He could see some logic in what she said but had a feeling she may take back her statement at the end of the day. The sound of the clock in the hall tolling made him curse and turn to rush to the bedroom to get ready. "I'll be back later on this evening." he called as he left the estate with Akamaru barking next to him.

With Kiba gone, Yukiko placed the try of dishes on the kitchen counter and went to wash and change before continuing her work. Dressed in a mint green long sleeved dress, she stood by the sink as she waited for it to fill with water. Soon she got lost in thought as she stared out the window. So distracted was she that she didn't hear the door slowly creak open. It wasn't until she felt something wet touch her hand that she jumped slightly and looked down startled to see what it was. Staring up at her was Kiba's grandfather's dog. Yukiko met it's gaze unsure at first on how to act. Deciding quickly, she took a small step back to give the dog enough space so he wouldn't feel crowded, then she bowed to him. Remaining bent, she glanced to see the dog stare at her for a long time and eventually he bowed back. Rising, Yukiko turned off the water and knelt on the kitchen floor, now bringing herself to the dog's height. "It's an honour to meet you." she told him in her usual willowy tone, folding her hands on her lap. "Why are you on the floor, child?" a dry voice asked her from the doorway. Yukiko looked up at Kiba's grandfather to see him look at her with bored eyes and an otherwise blank expression. "I don't like looking down on people."

"You see yourself as equal with an animal?" he questioned.

"No, this dog is far more skilled than me and most likely more intelligent. I don't have a right to look down at him like I'm superior." she explained.

"Do you always put yourself down like that?"

"It's not putting myself down if it's the truth. I've been born for the sole purpose of being someone's wife for political reasons. I'll have children, raise them and do housework. But your companion was born to be a partner and companion for a strong alpha of a strong clan. He's seen more and learned more about the world than I ever will. He's strong, courageous, vastly intelligent and no doubt a fierce and frightening opponent when he needs to be. It's clear who is the superior."

Sonzo regarded the young woman with an odd look, his eyebrows rose slightly when Aomaru stepped forward and placed his large forehead against Yukiko's cheek. "It seems Aomaru thinks differently. Come with me child." he stated, turning. Yukiko looked at him, then to Aomaru and finally up at the sink as she rose. "But I-"

"You can do those later. I don't know why you're worried about it, it's not your job to clean them." came the sighed reply. Biting her lip, Yukiko looked at the sink. She immediately stumbled when the dog behind her nudged the back of her legs to follow his master. Silently, she righted herself and walked after Kiba's grandfather who was waiting in the hall for her. Sonzo continued down the hall and entered his room, stepping aside to let Yukiko and Aomaru enter before he shut the door. "Sit down at the table by the window." he told her while he moved to the large chest at the bottom of his bed.

Yukiko nodded and did as she was told. Her gaze slid out of the window and saw a few Inuzukas training with their dogs. At this part of the house and position of the window, she could see out of the estate grounds and onto the street of Konoha . She watched civilians and ninja walk by. A few of the ninja stopped by the entrance to call to one of the Inuzukas, talk for a moment and then walk on. Hearing, Kiba's Grandfather approach the table, she looked over to see him place a long black box on the wooden surface. Wordlessly, he opened it to reveal a large, ornate wooden tile in side. The dark brown mahogany wood bordered black and white squares in the middle. A chess board. "I would like to think that you play, child." he stated. She nodded and admired the set as he lifted the board to reveal the individually and equally stunning pieces underneath. "Which colour would you like?" he asked. Yukiko looked at him.

"This is your room and your set. You should be the one to pick." she told him, noticing that his lips twitched at her answer.

"Very well. I'll be white." he stated, sitting down and lifting out the corresponding pieces while Yukiko collected the black ones. Moving the box onto the floor, the two set up the game but Sonzo didn't move. "We'll play this game differently. For every piece we take from each other, we can ask a question. But the value of the pawn changes the depth of the question, understand?" he informed her.

"Pawns will be basic, impersonal questions. Likes and dislikes? Higher ranked pieces are more personal?" Yukiko asked, Sonzo nodded.

"Yes. And we have to be completely honest. Now, shall we play?" Sonzo said, his hand curling around one of his pawns.

Kiba was having trouble focussing. He had decided to do the bell test with his group after hearing Naruto reminiscing about the task with Sakura and Sasuke. He changed things by attaching a bell to his belt and the other to his headband that (for the purposes of this exercise) was fastened around Akamaru's neck. The snapping of branches, knocked him out of his distracted thoughts and he leapt back to avoid Mei's kunai attack. She kept herself hidden well from his sight, but his nose was far stronger than most so he could tell it was her. "What's the matter Kiba-sensei? Too busy thinking about Yukiko-san in her pretty dress?" her voice carried out and echoed around him. Kiba smirked; she had created clones so she could taunt him without her cover being blown. Crouching low, Kiba looked around the leafy canopy in front of him and pushed off. Shooting forward, he heard a gasp and metallic clink of shuriken being lifted from its holster. Before his student could throw them, Kiba had broken through the hiding place, grabbed Aki by his shoulders and turned him upside down. The two sailed through the air, Aki looking startled and annoyed while Kiba merely grinned and snatched the shuriken. He planted one on either side of his student's shirt, effectively pinning him to the tree behind him without causing the boy any harm. Landing on the ground, Kiba turned hearing Mei's frustrated scream in the distance. Akamaru had caught her. Now that only left Shinji. The dog ninja walked out into the clearing. His dark brown eyes landed on Akamaru as he ran out to meet him. Kiba scratched the dog's ears and suddenly threw himself down, sitting on the dog's lower back. A cloud of smoke appeared and in Akamaru's place was Shinji lying on the ground, struggling to get out from under his teacher. "Sen…sei! Can't breathe!" Shinji gasped, clawing at the dirt. Kiba laughed and ruffled Shinji's short sandy blonde hair but didn't get up just yet. When a shrill buzzing rang, he got up and looked to see Akamaru run while Mei and Aki trudged sluggishly to join him. "Times up, you didn't get the bells but you did a good job. We'll stop for lunch and take a ten minute break before picking up again." he instructed.

"Kiba-sensei, what's wrong?" Aki asked with a frown. Kiba blinked and looked to see his students staring at him curiously.

"A lot on my mind, that's all." he muttered before placing some rice into his mouth.

"Liiiike Yukiko-san?" Shinji sang out with a grin so foxlike it could have rivalled Naruto's. Kiba frowned and continued to chew. Even if he answered or not, they'd believe what they wanted.

"Are you like Mei said earlier?" Aki asked, "Thinking about her in her wedding dress?"

"I haven't seen the dress so I can't think about it."

"But you can imagine her in a lot of different dresses!" Mei reasoned.

"But what's on your mind?" Shinji asked seriously. Kiba shook his head.

"Never mind, it's grown up stuff. " he told them, taking a drink. He paused, smelling a familiar scent heading towards him and his group. He rolled his neck and shoulders before looking at his older sister. "Can we help you Hana?"

"Who is in the main house?" she demanded.

"Just Yukiko and grandfather and before you start I'm not happy about it either." he answered, looking to his students. Sighing he got to his feet and jerked his head to Hana, telling her to move the conversation elsewhere. As they walked, Hana hissed at him in a low voice. "Couldn't you have tried to keep them apart?"

"This is our grandfather you're talking about. He would have managed to speak to her at some point. Like I said I'm not happy. I didn't even get a chance to warn her and when I told her she'd have the whole day with him she said she was looking forward to it."

Hana's eyebrows rose high on her forehead. "She'll be thinking differently by the end of the day, no doubt." Kiba gave a snort and nodded before looking at his sister.

"Why aren't you at work?"

"I'm taking a break."

"And instead of going to the estate to check up on Yukiko you decided to come here and try to lecture me on something that I couldn't have avoided?" Kiba asked his sister with a frown. Hana opened her mouth to speak but shut it again. Turning on her heel sharply, she bolted in the direction of the Inuzuka estate.

His limbs hurt, he couldn't even breathe without feeling the ache somewhere. He'd been going everything with his students, developing their fighting styles and that meant a lot of one on one fights, going over chakra control and using a lot of his energy to go easy on the kids. He had to admit they were an impressive bunch and had landed their fair share of strong hits to him over the course of the day of excessive training. Kiba winced as he climbed the steps and pushed open the front door. He was so sore and exhausted that he couldn't even keep his eyes open. Now he had to manoeuvre based on sound and touch only. "Welcome home Kiba!" Hana called, Kiba groaned out in response. With Akamaru trailing behind him, the sluggish pair made it into the living room before collapsing; Kiba onto the sofa, Akamaru onto the floor. Groaning in satisfaction that he could finally lie down and rest, Kiba shifted slowly to get comfortable. One arm curled under the cushion he was laying his head on while the other wrapped around the top of it until his arms met. Now all he needed to do was drift off to sleep. "Pup, what are you doing?" Sonzo's voice came to him through his hazy consciousness. Kiba gave a large yawn and groan before fully falling asleep, unable to give his grandfather an actual answer.

A pleasant heat was slowly beginning to register through out her body as she slowly began to wake. She was never used to warmth like this before. All she really knew was the cold from Snow Country and the range of weather in Konoha. But this was completely different. It made her happy, relaxed and content. Giving a long sigh, she moved slightly and relaxed further into the feeling. As she was waking, she was becoming more aware of her surroundings. Yukiko could feel something tickling the back of her neck and after she moved, the heat moved too. A low rumbling noise and a slight vibration registered in front of her. Something that was wrapped around her waist tightened then. Purple eyes snapped open only to be greeted with pitch black. It was still night time. Her inability to see made her more unnerved about what was happening. Lifting her hands, she placed them on the solid, warm object in front of her and pushed. A grumble of protest and a sudden movement made her gasp as she was pulled along with the object, now finding herself sitting on top of it. Well it was more straddling than it was sitting. With her eyesight adjusting now she could see she was on top of someone. And not just any someone. It was Kiba. Her eyes were wide and she felt herself blushing. This wasn't good! She was straddling her sleeping fiancé who wouldn't let go of her. It was a miracle that she'd been able to push herself up from his chest. Clamping her mouth into a tight line, she thought about how she could move out of his grasp and sneak into their room without waking him. If he woke up now and saw her on top of him like this, what would he think? Her eyes widened at the thought.

Swallowing hard, she started with her left leg and slowly slid it off of the sofa cushion and lightly let it touch the floor. Glancing at Kiba, she saw he was still sleeping. Okay, so far so good. Now came the other leg. Carefully she began to move. Unfortunately Kiba's eyes snapped open, he let out a surprised yell and rolled suddenly, knocking both of them to the ground. Only this time the roles had been reversed. Yukiko was now on her back on the floor, one leg hooked around Kiba's waist and her hands on his upper arms while he hovered over her with his hands on either side of her head. What probably made things worse was how close their faces were to each other.

Kiba met Yukiko's gaze. What the hell was he to say? How did all of this happen anyway? Something clicked dully in the back of his head. When he fell onto the sofa after training he hugged a pillow, but it felt differently now that he thought about it. And he recalled his grandfather asking what he was doing. Oh shit! He fell asleep on his fiancée, who from her startled expression meant she'd been sleeping too. Why hadn't anyone woken them up! Hundreds of swears, curses and confused thoughts ran through his head as he continued staring at the woman beneath him.

It wasn't all that bad of a sight, some voice in the back of his head reasoned. It had felt good sleeping with her in his arms. And although it had shocked him at first, seeing him on top of him wasn't all that bad either. These thoughts were the hardest to silence, probably because some part of him didn't want to silence them. Kiba looked over her face, from her bright purple eyes to the strands of pale blonde hair that had fallen across her cheeks and nose and finally his dark eyes settled on her lips. Unsure of what possessed him to do it, he slowly brushed the hair from her face and captured her lips with his own in a brief but tender kiss. Kiba pulled back to see a blush spreading across her cheeks, her lips parted and eyes widened slightly. Sliding one hand under her neck and the other around her waist, Kiba pulled back and sat up, causing Yukiko to rise with him. This new position didn't exactly help matters but it wasn't as bad as their previous one. Kiba cleared his throat. "We should get to bed…" he began in a voice that took a lot of effort to keep controlled and light. "I don't think it's a good idea to sleep on a floor or the sofa." He stood suddenly, lifting her with him. Yukiko set her feet on the floor and dropped her hands from his arms while he pulled his hands from her waist. Looking at anything but each other, they turned and headed into the hall and into their room. Yukiko had already been in her nightdress so she climbed into her side of the bed, lying on her side to give Kiba his privacy to change.

"I'm sorry about what just happened…" Yukiko blinked and rolled over to look at Kiba as he moved to lie on his side of the bed and pull the covers over him. Why was he apologizing?

"You didn't do anything wrong. You don't need to apologize. I should be the one saying sorry for how I acted." Yukiko replied. It was now Kiba's turn to blink at her.

"I'm apologizing for sleeping on you, lying on top of you and then kissing you. Why are you apologizing?" he asked.

"You're going to be my husband, it's your right to do those things. I'm apologizing for waking you, being on top of you and not kissing you back." Yukiko answered, her expression back to it's usual blank, controlled mask. Silence fell over them then and they met each other's gazes evenly.

"You don't have to apologize for that stuff. So maybe we should just forget this situation happened and continue as normal?" Kiba offered. Yukiko nodded.

"If that's what you want, then we'll continue as normal. " she agreed formally. But despite what they agreed on, they both knew deep down that everything had shifted in the relationship that they had been adapting to over the past number of weeks. What they had before had been civil and in most ways friendly but now, it had crossed some invisible line and become more in-depth. But maybe things had already been moving slowly in this direction anyway?

The night past swiftly and calmly and unlike before, when the two woke up the next morning to find that they'd moved in their sleep until Yukiko lay with her head between Kiba's shoulder and chest and with Kiba's arm around her waist, it wasn't awkward. There was no unnecessary apologies or sudden jerking away. Instead it was met with a warm chocolate brown gaze and the slight curve of pale, female lips. It felt nice and oddly, it felt right.


	6. We Can Always Change That

**AN: Okay so a lot of things happened that kept me from updating as quickly as I would have liked. I had become a little unwell and my tempermental laptop decided to get a virus and even after it was fixed was slow. School was also a factor but hopeuflly now everything is calm and settled again. I know a couple were wondering about the chess game between Yukiko and Sonzo but it was purposely left out and is going to be revealed slowly in future chapters. I wasn't too fond on this chapter I don't know why but things will be better in the next one I hope. Anyway enjoy and as always a big big thank you to people who take the time to read this, review, favourite and add it to their alerts. It's all very much appreciated. **

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><p><strong>We Can Always Change That<strong>

"She's what?" Shino asked in surprise, his canned drink paused an inch from his lips.

"With my grandfather. I don't understand it either…" Kiba sighed, rubbing Akamaru's back as the dog returned after chasing a stray cat for fun. "I was worried about leaving her alone with him yesterday but this morning he was pleasant to her…well as pleasant as my grandfather can be." he explained, Shino nodded and chuckled.

"Strange, I mean we've been friends since our genin days and even I know he's a difficult man to get along with. I don't think he's ever said a kind word to me. Well his kind words usually sound like sarcasm or have some underlying insult." the Aburame male mused. "So what did Hana say was happening when she went to check up on them?"

Kiba sighed and shook his head. "Well she got scared when she came home and couldn't hear anything, she then followed their scents and found them in his room- a place he doesn't let a lot of people in to- and they were sitting there with cups of tea and playing chess."

"Shikamaru will be jealous when he finds out…" Shino smirked while Kiba rolled his eyes. The Inuzuka was confused by the turn of events. Aomaru was a very independent dog who only really stayed close to Sonzo. However this morning, the blue tinted dog greeted Kiba with a bow of his head and greeted Yukiko with a gentle nuzzle at her side before rejoining Sonzo's side at the table. Sighing now as he sat on a park bench with Shino, they had been wrangled into babysitting Asuma Jr for the day because Asuma was away on a mission and Kurenai apparently had something important to do. Kiba reasoned it was to do with Jr's birthday being in the next month so she wanted to get some things without her son finding out.

Kiba looked over to see Hinata pushing her daughter Naruko gently on the swings with Asuma Jr on the swing next to them. "The big day's getting closer…getting nervous yet?" Shino mused, looking at his friend from behind his dark glasses. Kiba frowned and sighed.

"I have no idea. I mean I've never had a then we were both seeing other people. It's hard to fully absorb that I'm getting married and settling down. There are times I'm coping and then suddenly it hits me and I start to worry and freak out."

"Does it happen a lot?"

"Mostly on missions or when things are going smoothly. I don't show it around Yukiko though…"

"Only you would freak out when things go smoothly…" Shino chuckled, Kiba gave a small laugh of his own but let out a frustrated sigh.

"You don't get it…." he began, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees while he stared blankly at the ground beneath him. "It's like I've never had anything serious. I've never had a serious relationship, rarely take anything seriously and like to go at my own pace. But this. A marriage and taking over the clan not long after the wedding. It's all happening so quickly and there are times when I'm with her or taking to elders everything it's as if it's natural and seems right."

"And you freak out because it's something you aren't used to, it's scary and unnerving and so new but it doesn't feel like it?" Shino surmised, Kiba merely nodded his head and sighed, lifting his head slightly to look at Hinata and the children.

"Children will be next… the elders, ma, Hana and my grandfather have brought up the subject at least once. As the alpha I'm meant to have strong heirs and if I didn't know any better the elders want Yukiko and me to have enough kids to fill an academy classroom on their own."

"Do you think that you two are ready to have children?" Kiba heard the Aburame ask softly after a small silence. That was the good thing about Shino, he rarely interrupted and waited until he was sure someone had finished speaking before adding his own comment or question.

"Doesn't matter does it? Yukiko has to be pregnant as soon as possible in the eyes of the elders. If it was up to me I'd prefer to wait a while. I'm only really growing up now because I'm being made to. I'm able to teach my genin squad and look after them…but being a father? I don't think I'm ready."

"Uncle Kiba! Uncle Shino! Come play!" The two men looked up to see Asuma Jr. waving them over with a grin. Looking at one another, the two males smirked and rose to join Hinata and the children. This was a joint babysitting after all.

Sonzo sat in the living room, Aomaru lounging at his feet as he read in silence. The smell of cooking food drifted in from the kitchen, letting him and his canine companion know that lunch was almost ready. Why the young girl felt it her job to cook and clean in the main house was beyond him. Inuzuka's not part of the direct family line usually did it as a way to serve the alpha. But he didn't push the matter, no one was forcing her to do it and if she felt like doing it then who was he to judge? Plus it meant he didn't have to cook and the food currently being made smelt too good to pass up. As he continued to read and waited for his food to be finished, the former alpha thought back to his chess game with the future bride.

A few moves had been made but so far, no pieces had been taken. That was however until Sonzo noticed a pawn that could be captured. A white bishop slid across the board and took the tiny piece. His dark eyes lifted to the blank face in front of him. "Family members?" he posed, might as well get the tedious questions out of the way first. "Father, and two siblings. My mother died not long after giving birth to my youngest sibling."

"Doesn't that answer make my question personal?"

"It wasn't intentionally personal and I'm fine with talking about it." Yukiko answered as her pale hand gripped the top of a carved horse's head. Moving three squares across and one up, it claimed the first white pawn. Purple met brown and she asked a basic question. "Favourite season?"

"Don't particularly have one. But one I prefer more than the others would be Spring."

The game progressed casually, none of them making a move to quickly or recklessly. They both seemed to have methodical and tactical minds, which in turn made the game more complicated and entertaining. Sonzo had taken four pawns and a castle. From taking the pawns he learned of her family members but also that his grandson's fiancée had no favourite season as she hadn't experienced them all yet, he learned about her pastimes in her previous home and her favourite food. The castle had raised a more personal question, as was agreed. "Do you have any ill feelings towards your siblings for not having to go through what you had to go through? I imagine their childhood is and was more open and freer than yours." Yukiko brought her hands together, settling them on her lap. Slowly she took a breath and answered. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little jealous of them. But I made the deal with my father that mine was the only arranged marriage that had to happen. I want them to be happy and fall in love. I'm glad their childhoods were different and don't have to go through what I had to."

Yukiko on the other hand had captured three pawns, a horse and a bishop from the former alpha. His questions with the pawns where similar to the ones he asked her; favourite season, favourite food and most enjoyed pastime. The question she had asked when she took his bishop surprised him. "Before this, has any Inuzuka been a part of an arranged marriage?" Here she could ask any question she wanted about Sonzo and yet she chose to ask about some part of the clan's history. The older male had regarded her silently.

"There had been a couple in the clan's past when arranged marriages were more common. But it stopped after it was clear that most of the marriages didn't always work out." he stopped his answer there. But Yukiko persisted when she took his horse with her remaining castle. "Why stop the Inuzuka clan being involved in arranged marriages? Surely it shouldn't matter if the marriages work out all the time? That isn't the point of that sort of arrangement." Sonzo allowed himself a small ghost of a chuckle at her question.

"Inuzukas are characteristically passionate, animalistic people. Rarely hide their emotions but they are fiercely loyal. Most Inuzukas marry for life. Only one husband or wife. But the arranged marriage complicated things. The last to be in that situation was a future alpha to take over the clan's leadership once he married-much like the situation with you and Kiba. He was ordered and fulfilled his duties by marrying the woman he'd never met and became the next alpha- a good one, too. He treated his wife very well but there was a problem, he was in love with a woman from the village. He didn't want to but he ended up being unfaithful to his wife. Unable to keep up the marriage he ended it, causing anger and friction between the two families. However after a few years the arranged wife remarried so everything continued as normal. But seeing the trouble it caused, the Hokage at the time stated that unless the village was in dire need of it and, or the alpha and Hokage both agreed only then would an Inuzuka be a part of an arranged marriage." Yukiko listened silently and intently to Sonzo's story and gave a small nod in understanding. It was then, as they were about to resume their game that a quick knock at the door sounded and it opened without Sonzo's say so. Both players looked over to see a rigid, stunned Hana looking back at them. Her chest had been heaving and with flushed cheeks, the two could only assume that she ran home- why, Yukiko didn't know.

A sudden presence near him snap out of his thoughts and fix sharp dark eyes on bright purple ones. "Food ready?" he asked, earning a nod. Yukiko stood back, giving the man his space as he rose and made his way into the dining room. He and Aomaru stopped to see why the food had smelt so good. The girl had made his favourite food- which was also Aomaru's favourite as well- and plenty of it. The sound of barking and laughter alerted them of newcomers. The front door opened and shut. Sonzo sat down and began to eat, he knew who was in the house and was hungry. Akamaru came into the room first with Asuma Jr on his back, followed by Shino, Kiba and Hinata with Naruko in her arms. The younger Inuzuka looked at the food on the table, to Yukiko and then settled a suspicious gaze on his grandfather. "Did you make her cook you all that food?" he asked, only to get irritated as his elder slowly chewed the piece of meat in his mouth while staring back blankly and uncaring. Swallowing, Sonzo finally answered evenly. "I did not make your fiancée do anything. She made the food of her own accord and it is tasty, if you and your friends would care to join us?"

Truth be told, they were all hungry, apart from Naruko who had been fed while they were at the park. Asuma was the first to climb up onto the seat closest to the food. Shino and Hinata bowed to Sonzo, respectfully thanking him for his invitation and moved to sit. Kiba gave Sonzo an unimpressed look before looking to Yukiko who had gone into the kitchen to get more plates and cutlery. When she returned, she placed the necessary things in front of the guests and finally Kiba who had sat down in his usual spot. "Why aren't you sitting down to eat with us?" he asked when Yukiko began to place Asuma's desired food onto his plate.

"I ate while I cooked. Thank you though." she answered softly before looking to Hinata who tried to arrange her daughter on her lap as she tried to get some food. "I can take her if you want so you can eat, Hinata." The dark haired woman smiled gratefully and passed the blonde ten month old over. Naruko stared up at Yukiko with large pale eyes silently as she looked over this new person. Her tiny hand reached up and grabbed a lock of pale hair. With a happy peal of laughter and enthusiasm, the young girl gave Yukiko's trapped lock of hair a fierce tug. Kiba kept his eyes trained on Yukiko's face. She didn't seem angry or hurt at the hair pulling,- which he had experienced a lot of times so know what it felt like- instead she lifted her finger and replaced it in the toddler's grip instead of her hair that was quickly released. Sonzo watched silently and followed her movements as She left the room, returning with glasses, setting them on the table next to the jug of water and glass that had originally been set out for the former alpha. "Yukiko this is very delicious." Shino spoke up as he prepared to put another piece of meat into his mouth. Hinata nodded and gave the other woman a warm smile. Kiba finished taking a drink of his water before giving her a small smile. "It's great."

Yukiko's eyes softened and she then left, letting everyone eat in peace. Sonzo was the first to finish eating and returned to the living room to continue his book. He stopped in the doorway to see Yukiko sitting in one of the armchairs, feet over one armrest and the Hokage's daughter nestled between her chest and a large cushion against the back of the chair. He tilted his head curiously as he watched Yukiko silently trail her fingertips over the baby's back and arm that was draped over her stomach. Sonzo watched as the pale eyes of little girl slowly closed and opened again only for the eyelids to sink downwards again and again, clearly trying to fight off sleep that was inevitable. Finally Naruko's eyes closed and her breathing became deep and even. And still a pair of amethyst eyes continued to look down at the baby and her pale fingertips continued their soft and soothing journey over the child's back and arm. Silently Sonzo and Aomaru fully entered the room and took up their places on the sofa and floor.

Kiba shivered as he returned to the estate. He had walked Asuma Jr back over to Kurenai and Asuma's place. Hinata had remembered she needed to be home early and Shino had gotten a summons for a mission after the bug user had finished his lunch, which had left Kiba to finish the babysitting and leave the boy back with his parents at the arranged time. The sudden image of Yukiko sitting in the chair with Naruko lying asleep against her flashed in his mind. Kiba stopped and let out a groan, pressing the heel of his hand against his forehead. Just this morning he had been saying he didn't think he was ready for children and now this had to happen. After lunch he had not been expecting to walk in and see that. Naruko took after her father in terms of personality; loud, hyper and excited about almost everything. To make the girl go to sleep so quickly was an achievement. The image filtered into his mind again, only Naruko's appearance was changing into a younger baby, dark brown hair and slightly pale skin. Maybe a pair of amethyst eyes? No, no no! Kiba's mind seemed to scream at him. Why did he have to go and imagine what his and Yukiko's child would look like? If the Inuzuka had the ability to kick himself, he would. He wasn't ready to be a dad! Hell it was still around three months until he had to marry Yukiko so fatherhood was completely off the table. _You don't have to be a dad right away…but the process on how to make kids is still an option right?_ A voice in his head practically growled sending different images coursing through his mind. Growling out himself, Kiba bit the inside of his mouth harshly, letting pain dispel those thoughts before they got any worse and he actually acted on them.

Rolling his shoulder, he stopped and looked up at the sky. The days were getting shorter and already the blue sky above him was turning a dimmer, near grey colour. Maybe it would snow this year? It rarely snowed during the winter due to the climate but when it did, it got bad and cold quickly. As if on cue a sharp wind picked up and caused him to shudder. Not wanting to stand around much longer, he huddled closer into his jacket and hurried home. His dark eyes looked down to Akamaru with jealousy, the large animal had a nice thick fur coat to keep out most of the cold.

"Kiba-sensei!" a voice called out loudly. The dog ninja stopped and looked over to see Mei and an older woman outside a shop, bags in hands. Smiling he lifted his hand in greeting and walked over to the two. "Kiba-sensei this is my mom. Mom, this is Kiba-sensei and Akamaru!" the young girl introduced with a bright smile, seeming more excited about Akamaru who she immediately began to pet and scratch affectionately. Mei's mother looked at the large dog warily and then gave a polite smile to her daughter's teacher.

"A pleasure to meet you. Mei doesn't stop talking about you and her team." She said, Kiba grinned.

"A pleasure to meet you too. Before I forget, Mei we'll have training tomorrow. Bright and early at my estate." The young girl looked up with bright, eager eyes.

"Great! I'll tell Aki, he lives next door to us."

"And I'll track Shinji down and tell him. We'll also have a mission outside of the village some time next week." as he spoke he noticed Mei's mother stiffen but he said nothing.

"I have to get going. Don't be late tomorrow, okay?" he told his student cheerfully before smiling at her mother. "Lovely meeting you." he said.

"Likewise…" Mei's mother responded in a slightly strained voice and too rigidly for Kiba's liking. Turning, he left the pair and continued on his way home. He stopped briefly to inform Shinji of training and the upcoming mission. Like with Mei, the Inuzuka met the boy's parents who were a lot more pleasant than Mei's mother. With no other things to do, or unexpectedly delay him, Kiba was finally able to get home. Kicking his ninja sandals off in the doorway, he continued down the hall. Entering his bedroom, he saw Yukiko putting away fresh laundry. "You know you don't have to do that." he told her as he pulled off his jacket while Akamaru leapt up onto the bed.

"I know, but I like doing it. It makes me feel useful." she responded in her usual willow tone as she shut a drawer.

"Just don't let my grandfather order you around, okay? You aren't a slave and I know he can be pretty forceful and commanding." he said as he sank down onto the bed. Being out all day and playing with an overactive eight year old was truly exhausting.

"He doesn't order me around." he heard Yukiko talk as she moved around the room, putting more clothes away.

"So you're honestly telling me he didn't make you cook all that food today at lunch?" he asked with an arch of his eyebrow.

"Yes, I made it without him telling me to."

"It seemed like a pretty specific meal." he continued as his eyes slipped closed.

"It's his favourite food. I wanted to make something I knew he'd enjoy." Kiba's eyes snapped open and he pushed himself up, supporting his weight on his elbows as he looked at Yukiko in confusion.

"How do you know his favourite food!"

"He told me." Kiba spluttered at the innocent answer. He _told _her? His grandfather openly spoek to her about his favourite things? Was he dreaming?

"When? How? Are you sure it was really my grandfather? I find it hard to believe that he has a favourite anything." Yukiko paused with Kiba's recently discarded jacket folded over one arm while the half empty clothes basket was tucked under the other and balanced on her hip.

"Yesterday while we played chess. For every piece we took we got to ask a question to get to know each other more." Kiba continued staring at her with wide eyes and an open mouth. Get to know each other more?

"And?" was all he could manage out.

"And he won in the end. It was a good game. I think he wants to play again soon." she answered, setting the basket on one of the chairs and hung Kiba's jacket up in the wardrobe. Kiba gave a tired sigh and lay back down on the bed, letting himself relax with Akamaru lying next to him.

Or at least the dog had been lying down. He felt the mattress shift as the dog's weight moved. Cracking an eye open, Kiba watched as the dog watched Yukiko move around the room, finishing her chore. As soon as she placed the last folded item of clothing, the dog placed his paws on the footboard and leaned forward. His mouth opened and his teeth grasped the back of her shirt. Before she realised what happened and before Kiba could order his dog to stop, Akamaru sharply whipped his head to the side, pulling Yukiko backwards and tumbling onto the bed. Kiba rolled to the side to avoid getting hit or Yukiko getting hurt. Lying now on his side, he watched Akamaru begin to lick a defenceless Yukiko's face and neck. Akamaru continued his affectionate assault on her and began to lick her side that had become exposed due to the dog pulling at her shirt. The reaction was instant, reflexively Yukiko jerked out of the way and a noise escaped her lips. Both Kiba and Akamaru looked to see her hands clamped over her mouth. "Are your sides ticklish?" Kiba asked with a growing smirk. Her head shook furiously, she wasn't liking the way he was smirked and the glint in his eye. Sensing he wasn't satisfied with her answer, she pushed herself up and crawled away. Well tried to. Just as she reached the edge, something grabbed her ankle and dragged her backwards. Effortlessly she was flipped around so she lay on her back, looking up at a predatory and mischievous face. "See, I think you're lying to me, Yukiko." he mused in a tone that made her unable to move and mouth seem dry. His brown eyes had her pinned in place. Suddenly his warm fingertips moved quickly against one of her sides.

The sensation made her body jerk and laughter to flow freely from her lips and no amount of time training her face into a blank mask could stop it. Yukiko squirmed and laughed, trying to get away from Kiba's tickling hand, her stomach muscles were beginning to hurt. Kiba grinned and immediately stopped when she tried to move away. Her body slumped but a smile and small giggle broke out from her pale lips as she calmed herself. "You really should smile more often." he grinned, moving his hand to wipe the tears of laughter from her cheeks that were now tinged with a pale pink. Yukiko bit her lower lip and looked over the male's face silently before looking at him curiously. "Are you ticklish?"

"Not to my knowledge." he answered before giving a small frown. "We don't know a lot about each other do we?" he asked.

Yukiko shock her head softly. "We can always change that though, can't we?"

"Of course we can." Kiba replied with a smile.

A week later Kiba pulled his pack onto his back and looked at his squad. Aki and Shinji looked around in excitement. This was their first proper mission outside the village. A simple C rank. Escort the client-who was late- to his village at the border of Fire and Wind Country safely. Mei on the other hand wasn't her usual eager self. He was about to talk to the girl when he noticed their client walking towards them at a leisurely place. "Well let's not stand around here all day, let's get a move on." he declared, earning three pairs of irritated glares sent towards him from the genin behind the male. Already Kiba didn't like this man. His scent was unappealing and seemed arrogant, superior and that of a downright jackass.

"Hey Inuzuka!" Kiba looked over to see Jin out of his ANBU gear, walking by. "You heading out on a mission?"

"Nope, going flower picking." he replied sarcastically, loud enough for the man to hear but not so loud that it would disturb civilians around them.

"Fair enough. I'll keep an eye on your little snowflake while you're gone then, shall I?" Jin grinned slyly. Kiba scowled. While he knew it was a harmless joke, it still seemed to hit a nerve. Not pressing the matter, he turned as Jin walked on and began to head out with his squad and the man they had to escort. "Hey, kid. Who's this little snowflake?" he soon heard the irritating man ask to one of his students.

"I would say it's none of your business. But since you're our client I have to be polite. The man talking to Kiba-sensei was obviously talking about Yukiko-san." Aki replied reluctantly. From his tone of voice, Kiba knew his students weren't so fond on this man either.

"And Yukiko-san would be?"

"Kiba-sensei's fiancée." Kiba heard the client snort at this reply and he soon felt his gaze boring into the back of his head. The jounin looked over his shoulder to fix the man with a gaze so intense, his scent shifted from arrogance to fear in less than a second.

"Congratulations. So what does she look like?"

Kiba gave a snort of his own and looked ahead. But the client persisted, his arrogant nature coming back quickly. "Can't be that good looking then if her own betrothed doesn't even have a picture to show…"

"Don't talk about her like that! Yukiko-san is gorgeous! Here I'll show you!" Shinji spoke up defensively. Kiba wanted to groan, how had his student been tricked so easily. A small burst of chakra and a cloud of smoke drifting behind him signalled Shinji had used a transformation jutsu. The low whistle of approval made Kiba glare ahead of him. This may have been a simple mission. This was definitely going to be a successful mission. But it was now going to be a very long mission for Kiba, one he knew was seriously going to test his patience. He just really hoped the client was smart enough to keep his mouth shut if he didn't want to get to his destination with a broken jaw or worse.


	7. Comfort, Games and Caring

**Comfort, Games and Caring**

Benjirou Uematsu was seriously Kiba's most disliked client he ever had to work for. Everything he or his squad did was a problem and looked over with a critical, obnoxious gaze. He just wanted this mission to be finished quickly but their client being a stuck up civilian meant he had no chakra so their trip had to be longer than usual. It was their second day since leaving the village and they were still nowhere near their destination. Uematsu complained constantly about being tired and sore. And like all the other times, they found themselves stopping for yet another rest. Shinji and Mei went off in search of food and small animals they could hunt while they were still in this heavily wooded area. That was another thing their client complained about, sleeping outside. Kiba had snidely remarked that he forgot to pack his four-poster bed; his students had laughed, Benjirou sulked and rolled over in the sleeping bag provided for him. Aki walked to the river to fill canteens with fresh, cool water; leaving Kiba and his 'dear' client. "So how did you do it? Benjirou asked. Kiba looked up from his mission scroll- he had been looking carefully at his assignment to see if 'losing' his client in the middle of the forests was allowed or not- and raised an eyebrow.

"How did I do what?"

"Capture such a beauty and convince her to marry you?" Kiba's eyes narrowed a fraction at the smirking male who was busying himself with lounging on his sleeping bag while under a large tree. "Maybe you saved her life and she offered her hand as payment? Childhood sweethearts? Did you buy her? Now that one seems likely. Yes I'd wager it was something along those lines or more possible still…" Uematsu trailed off, looking Kiba to make sure he was listening. He was practically bristling with anger. Satisfied with what he saw, he continued. "Maybe the dear maiden has possesses her stunning looks and nothing else? Too dim in the head made her an easy catch, right? Show her a shiny penny and she was all yours." Kiba's jaw audibly snapped as he ground his teeth together. The noise and now murderous look in his eyes made Benjirou tense and swallow the lump of fear that had formed in his throat.

"Let me make something crystal clear to you. You are a client of Konoha so I can't harm you but let it be known that if things were different you would be unconscious right now. Also take this into consideration that even the most simple of missions can be dangerous and accidents can happen. But I'm an elite shinobi and don't want to waste my time or ruin myself over a stuck up piece of dirt like you." He said in a steady, normal voice that only made Kiba seem more threatening. "That being said, everyone has their limits and if you open your mouth to talk about Yukiko in anyway again I might lower my standards just this once and pummel you into the ground. Got it?" Knowing he was serious, Benjirou furiously nodded his head; too petrified to speak. After that, the mission moved along a lot more smoothly with no word of complaint from Uematsu who seemed all too eager to get home and away from Kiba Inuzuka. But little did both men know, the exchange had not gone unheard because now the three genin students respected and worshiped their teacher a whole lot more, if that was even possible.

Yukiko walked down the corridor of the Inuzuka house, her eyebrows minutely furrowed. Had anyone been around they would have had to be very observant to notice her barely there frown. Someone was knocking hurriedly and angrily at the door. With Kiba and Tsume gone on their missions, Hana out at work and Sonzo out on one of his many walks, Yukiko was on her own to deal with the visitor on their doorstep. The knocking continued as she opened the door. Yukiko instinctively straightened as the angry woman in front of her stumbled forward; had raised to knock again. The older woman fixed herself, a thunderous glare fixed on her features. But when it was trained on Yukiko, pale green eyes widened and her scowl fell. Now confused, the woman looked Yukiko over, then behind her, next she took a step back and looked the building over and back to the purple eyed girl. "I'm sorry. I think I have the wrong home…Do the Inuzukas live in this area? I could have sworn this was the place…"

"It is. You have the right estate." Yukiko answered, her willowy tone snapped the woman back into her fowl mood.

"Good! Now can you please fetch a member of the family that you serve?" she requested.

"I'm sorry but I don't serve the Inuzukas and the rest of the family are out. Would you like to come in?" Yukiko said, the woman didn't seem dangerous and while none of the main family were around a couple of the Inuzuka hounds where currently lounging in the living room ordered to protect Yukiko while Sonzo and Aomaru were gone. The brunette huffed but nodded sharply and stormed inside.

Both women sat in the living room, facing one another, a cup of freshly made tea in their hands. The older woman was frowning. "You aren't a maid or servant for this family? But you have no markings of the Inuzuka clan and don't look like a local. Why are you here? If you don't mind me asking."

"I don't mind you asking. But after I tell you who I am, I'd appreciate you extending the same courtesy." Yukiko stated, the woman nodded once. "I am Yukiko Yamamoto. Originally from the Land of Snow. I'm Kiba Inuzuka's fiancée." This news made the woman stiffen and gape. One of the large dogs at Yukiko's feet lifted his head to look at the frozen stranger and lie back down with a low grumble. Suddenly remembering herself, the woman stammered.

"I-I am Chikako Harada…I'm Mei's mother." Her green eyes steeled at the mention of her daughter. "She is the reason I'm here…well her and your fiancé." Chikako squared her shoulders. "I want to know where my child is. She hasn't returned from her mission and she had said and I quote. 'It's an easy mission. A few days, I promise.' it's been well over a week."

Yukiko blinked once. "Weather could had delayed them along with a number of factors. Their client isn't a ninja so they may be going slowly for his sake for instance."

"Or they could have been attacked, or worse." Mei's mother answered dryly. "This is just the kind of thing that made me so dead set against that girl joining the academy. I knew I shouldn't have humoured her or my husband."

"Being a ninja is something to be commended Harada-san." Yukiko spoke blankly. The woman scoffed.

"Being careless and having no consideration for your life or your loved ones feelings on whether you come home or not is commendable?" Her voice was beginning to rise and become more angered.

"Protecting your country and people is what is commendable. I agree that there are risks but it shows great courage to endure all that pain and training to do good. You should be proud of Mei, not belittle her dreams of being a strong and valued part of the village." Yukiko's voice remained willowy and level, perfectly calm and neutral as always.

"How DARE you! You aren't a mother! You aren't even a part of this village and you have the nerve to lecture me on how to treat my own daughter?" Chikako was on her feet now, the action had caused the cup to fall and shatter on the floor. Her face contorted with boiling anger. Hands fisted by her sides and shaking with barely restrained rage. Yukiko leant forward and set her cup down on the table. She remained sitting but looked up at the woman evenly.

"No I'm not a mother, but I can assure you that if and when I'm blessed with a child I will support him or her no matter what they wish to do and that includes being a strong ninja like their father. I may not have been born into this village Harada-san but I live here now, I'm marrying into a clan here and I will be part of their family. I am a part of this village now." she began, resting her hands silently on her lap. "I don't mean to offend or lecture you. I know you worry for your daughter's wellbeing and safety and ninja or not she is still your child who is growing up. Every girl needs their mother. Do you want to push your daughter away with this attitude? Embrace this part of her life because I know that there are worse things a child could do compared to being a ninja."

Trembling with mixed emotions, Chikako Harada was frozen in her place and could only watch as Yukiko rose to her feet. "I have no news of Kiba or his squad but I think they will be home soon. It was nice meeting you Harada-san. Maybe I'll see you at the wedding or sometime before?" she said as she walked Mei's mother to the door. The older woman swallowed and nodded before forcing a shaky smile. "Yes. That would be nice. Thank you…" she answered before she left. Shutting the door, Yukiko lay her back against the wood and let out a long, low breath. Closing her eyes she ran a hand through her hair before going to clean up the broken cup. As she knelt down and carefully began to lift the larger shards first, she jumped at the sound of a chuckle behind her. Tsume stood, leaning against the door. "You really are full of surprises Yukiko…." she grinned at her future daughter in-law. "I never expected you to talk to someone like that and better yet you didn't even raise your voice!" the Inuzuka laughed as she walked over to help. Yukiko could only stare at the woman.

"Welcome back."

Tsume let out a laugh. "Good to be back, I'm very glad I got to hear you cut that woman down. You scared her you know? I could smell it."

"Do you think I was rude? I'll go and apologize." Yukiko said, setting the ceramic on the saucer sitting on the coffee table only for a pair of hands to clamp onto her shoulders and turn her around.

"Oh no you don't! You weren't rude to her and you sure as hell better not apologize. I think you got through to her. Stupid woman needed someone to tell her that and if I had been in your place my words would have definitely been rude and unpleasant. " Tsume grinned and ruffled Yukiko's hair. "Now how about you? Hope my old man hasn't been mean to you."

"No, he's been pleasant. I enjoy his company. He's very interesting…" Yukiko answered as she rose, going to the kitchen with the saucer of ceramic shards to throw away. As she did, she failed to notice Tsume's shocked face. What Yukiko didn't miss however was the loud, shocked yell of "WHAT THE HELL!" as it echoed through the house.

"I expected you all back ages ago…" Naruto frowned as he looked over Kiba and his squad.

"Blame our dear client. Weakling stopped to rest every other hour." Kiba replied to the Hokage who grinned.

"Couldn't you have carried him?"

"I wasn't going to put my hands on that man, believe me I resisted very hard not to hit him."

Blonde eyebrows rose and the grin grew wider. "Well as long as you didn't or made it look like an accident it's all fine. Congrats on the completed mission. Go and have fun. Oh yeah Kiba there's a letter and package for Yukiko. It's from her dad, he didn't know your address so had it sent here instead." he explained as he opened his desk drawer and pulled out a pale blue envelope and wrapped parcel that Kiba tucked under his arm. Smiling to Naruto, Kiba turned and left with his squad and Akamaru behind him. "Training in the morning guys. Meet at my estate." he stated. The genin grinned and went their own way home. Kiba stretched and rolled his neck as he headed down the dark streets of Konoha to the Inuzuka home. On the way he ran into Hana and Shino and together they continued on their way. "Mom's home from her mission, nearly had a heart attack when she found out about Grandfather and Yukiko's blossoming friendship." Hana informed her little brother who grinned and wished he could have seen it for himself.

"Anything happen while I was gone?" he asked lightly, Hana and Shino shook their heads and then the conversation turned more meaningless, casual things. Climbing the steps and entering the home, Kiba stopped and frowned. Someone had been in the house, entered the living room and left again. The scent was new to him but slightly familiar. Walking past the living room he saw Kuromaru and Aomaru lying on the floor in front of the fire and Sonzo sleeping in one of the armchairs. He wished Hana and Shino a good night as the pair made their way to Hana's room. Shaking his head, Kiba walked into his room, stopping to see both Tsume and Yukiko sitting on the bed and a leather bound book between them. Kiba watched as two pairs of eyes looked up and met his; earthy, warm brown eyes and crystal, sharp purple eyes. He was about to ask what they were doing when he saw for himself. The book between them was a photo album. More importantly it was a photo album filled with pictures of him and Hana growing up.

"Welcome back son. Good mission?" Tsume asked with a smile. Kiba set his pack down at the foot of the bed and let out a weary sigh.

"Longer than it needed to be. Client was a total dick." he grumbled, not missing Yukiko's glint of mild amusement dance across her eyes at the sound of him swearing. Tsume laughed and got off the bed, leaving the album where it was.

"We all have those missions, son. The weather seems to be turning. I think we'll be getting snow this year and that'll make missions longer…" his mother mused before wishing them both a goodnight and leaving the room. When the door closed, Kiba turned to see Yukiko looking down at the album again. He briefly noted the page she was on and froze as he remembered the images that were on the other side. His eyes widened as she slowly let her fingers slid to the edge and move to turn the black card.

"You've got a letter!" he said suddenly, making Yukiko drop the page and look up at him. "And a package." he hastily added, pulling the wrapped object from under his arm and pale blue envelope out from his pouch. Making his way over, he set the mail on her lap while subtly and gently taking the album. He shut the leather bound book and set it on the bedside table. "I'll be in the shower." Kiba told her after gathering some clean clothes, only getting a slow nod in response. Yukiko was too busy staring at the writing on the back of the envelope.

The sudden feel of hot water made Kiba groan as his tense, sore muscles release and loosen. His whole time on the mission was spent in the forests, no motels they went to was to Uematsu's liking. He stated he'd rather stay outside than get a disease from breathing the air in the building. Kiba couldn't be more glad to get home, sleep in a nice comfy bed and have a hot shower. But best of all he would never have to see Benjirou Uematsu again. While he tried to forget the things he said about Yukiko, they still kept going through his head. Angrily Kiba gritted his teeth and ran his hand through his wet spikes before shutting off the water. Changed, relaxed and ready to collapse onto the bed, he re-entered the bedroom. Rubbing a towel in his hair to absorb the rest of the water, he stopped to see Yukiko looking at her now open letter and the unwrapped box lying on her lap. "Yukiko, are you okay?" Kiba asked. He got nothing as an answer, she didn't even blink. Getting concerned, he knelt on the bed and touched her shoulder. Yukiko jumped and pulled away in surprise. Blinking, she looked at him silently. "What's wrong?" he asked before lifting a finger. "And don't say nothing. I'm not going to get that for an answer." Yukiko looked at him silently before looking at the letter.

"My father wrote to confirm that he can't come. He was hoping to attend but he's busy. It was nice of him to send me some of my mother's things though for a gift."

"He's sent you a wedding gift already?" Kiba asked looking at the closed box.

"No, a birthday gift, but they could be used for the wedding I suppose." Wide eyes landed on dim amethyst.

"Birthday? It's your birthday?" he demanded. Why did she never tell him anything unless he asked?

"Next week." That brought him some relief and he sighed. Sitting back against the pillows, he put an arm around Yukiko's shoulder and pulled her close.

"You're upset about your dad right?" he asked softly. He'd seen the look in her eyes as she looked at the letter and then as she spoke to him. She needed some form of comfort and Kiba wanted to help her.

"It's silly…" she began quietly. "I knew he wasn't going to be able to come but a part of me still hoped he would." Kiba nodded and absently began to run his fingers through her hair. He hadn't really noticed he'd done it until Yukiko let out a small sigh and moved closer into his touch, lying her head halfway between his chest and shoulder. "You're brave you know for handling this all so well. It must be really hard being away from your family and home."

"I miss them but I've been preparing for this for years. Besides this is my home now." Yukiko mumbled, Kiba smiled softly, sensing her body relaxing more and more. She'd be asleep in a couple minutes. "Kiba?" her voice drifted tiredly to him.

"Yeah?"

"Why was your client a dick?" The Inuzuka chuckled and shifted down so he wasn't fully sitting up and now lying against the pillows more.

"He was a dick because he was annoying, a complete grade A asshole and pissed me off when he said bad things about you." He felt Yukiko tilt her head back to look up at him. He looked down to look at her, grinning when he saw her half-flattered, half-sleepy expression.

"Thank you…" she mumbled. Grinning wider, Kiba was about to speak when Yukiko made a move that surprised him and wiped the grin from his face.

The young woman threw her leg over his waist and pushed herself up so she was straddling him. But it didn't last, instead she continued to move over him and settle down on his other side, resting her head back on his chest. Eyes wide, mouth partially open and the distinct feeling of his face heating up, Kiba could only say "Umm.." Yawning and relaxing, Yukiko answered his unspoken question.

"Sorry, I was on your side…" her voice grew quieter and trailed off, signalling she had fallen asleep. Lucky for her, Kiba unfortunately didn't get to sleep until much later in the night, when his overactive imagination and pesky mind finally rested and gave him peace.

Yukiko groaned and stretched, awaking the next morning to have Kiba's broad, bare chest in front of her. Somehow during the night, he rolled onto his side and now gave her a great view of the tanned, muscular expanse. Gazing up curiously she noted that her fiancé was still sound asleep before she went back to looking at his chest with a mixture of admiration and interest. However she stopped herself from touching his skin. She remembered what happened the last time she'd done that while he was asleep. A sudden shriek from outside caused Kiba to blot upright, the action sent Yukiko toppling off of the bed and onto a heap on the floor. Looking around in confusion, Kiba searched for both the source of the noise that woke him and for his future bride. Akamaru was gone too he noted but the dog seemed to wander around if he was awake before Kiba. Two pale hands reached up and fisted onto the duvet before Yukiko slowly rose to her feet. Wincing, she rubbed the back of her head and looked out of the window only to freeze. Slowly calming down, Kiba yawned and rubbed his eyes. He was about to speak when something smacked against the glass of the window.

White flecks slid down the pane along with a clear liquid. Kiba's hand fell from his face. "Snow…" he muttered in both surprise and excitement. It rarely snowed in Konoha due to the climate but when it did, it was always a lot of fun. Three face appeared in the doorway of the bedroom. Dressed in their winter gear Mei, Aki and Shinji grinned at their teacher and his fiancée. "Hey sensei!" they called in unison. Turning his head slowly, Kiba flinched and yelled out as three large snowballs connected and broke over his warm skin. "You three are so dead! Remember we have training to do!" Kiba threatened as he clambered off his now cold and wet bed and moved to get dressed. When he left the bathroom, the sheets were gone from the bed and Yukiko and his genin students were out of the room. Following their scents, he found Yukiko standing on the porch looking out at the white blanket of snow that covered everything in sight. Akamaru and the genin were playing in the snow. Kiba sighed, it didn't seem like there would be much training done today. But he did need to get the kids back for their snowball attack.

"Alright you three, get over here." he called. Groaning, they reluctantly complied and lined up in front of their mentor. "Now this morning you all threw snowballs and it was pretty pathetic." he told them.

Shinji snorted. "We still hit you though sensei."

"You all need to work on your aim and the only reason you hit me was because I was half asleep. So this is how we're going to do this; a snowball fight." three pairs of eyes brightened at that. "It's going to help you all with hitting moving targets, blending into your surroundings and best of all, survival."

"What are the teams sensei?" Mei asked.

"Akamaru and myself against you three, obviously."

"That's hardly fair sensei." Aki argued.

Mei spoke up "How about…Kiba-sensei, Shinji and me on one team?"

"Aki is the best out us at hitting his target so he and Akamaru would make a good team." Shinji agreed.

"Yukiko-san is on my team too!" Aki declared. "It needs to be three on three." the young boy looked up at the blonde woman hopefully. "Will you Yukiko-san? Please?"

Yukiko looked at the group. The three genin seemed eager for her to join, but this was meant to be training. Silently she looked to Kiba who shrugged his shoulders with a smile. "Only do it if you want to. Don't let us force you." he told her. She bit the inside of her mouth, unsure. Looking at the children again, they had moved onto bouncing up and down and giving their best attempts at 'puppy dog eyes'. The young woman was wavering they all knew it. Finally Akamaru bounded up the steps and nudged her legs, wanting her to join. "Okay, if it's really okay with you all." she agreed. The children gave a cheer and ran onto the large garden that would be the battleground. Kiba grinned at the woman as she moved down the steps to stand next to him.

"Have you played many snowball fights?" he asked her. Yukiko's lips curved ever so slightly into the tiniest of smiles- easily missed if Kiba hadn't gotten better at noting the small shifts in her expressions over their time together.

"I've played a few but I had to stop when 'wife lessons' became more serious. After that I stood to the side and became referee for Hina and Tohru's games."

"Referee for a mere snowball fight?" Kiba asked with raised eyebrows. Her pale face turned up towards him.

"They get competitive and they listen to me."

"You mean they don't mess with you…" Kiba chuckled, Yukiko merely shrugged and looked at the genin. The three children froze under her stare, a snowball grasped in their gloved hands and poised to throw at her. "Okay, let's get ready." Kiba called. "I'll go easy on you." he then muttered with a smirk to the blonde. Saying nothing, Yukiko walked through the ankle deep snow to meet with Aki and Akamaru at one end of the garden while Kiba and his remaining two genin students stood at the opposite end.

While the adults had been talking, the students had made small but sturdy walls of snow to act as cover. "So how do we determine a winner?" Shinji asked, looking to Kiba. "You didn't think this through properly sensei." Kiba grinned and looked to the front door, seeing his grandfather and mother looking silently.

"Either of you two feel like keeping count?" he asked. Sonzo yawned and sat down on one of the seats on the porch. "Okay half an hour and we'll break." the future alpha called down to Yukiko's team. "Ready? Go!"

Immediately Kiba and his team took cover behind one of the snow walls to make a battle plan while starting to make their snowballs. After coming up with a strategy, Shinji rolled to the side, ready to throw only to get a face full of snow. Growling, the young boy wiped his eyes and glared ahead to see Aki roll back behind the safety of the snow wall. Mei snickered, stood and threw the snowball and smirked triumphantly when she caught Yukiko's shoulder. The snowball fight continued quickly, each side landing their own hits on the other. One thing that concerned Kiba through the game though was that there was no real sign of Akamaru. The dog had turned up once or twice but that was to distract -and it always worked unfortunately- and now the white dog was gone and had been for a long time. Glancing to the side, Kiba met his grandfather's gaze. The old man was definitely amused.

Sonzo looked at Kiba and smirked. "Less than a minute left and then it's game over." he called out to them.

"Now Yukiko-san?" the opposite team heard Aki asked the older woman.

"Not yet." came the soft answer. Shinji and Kiba exchanged looks while Mei pouted.

"I don't like this….something's planned and it could make us lose." she grumbled.

"Ten seconds!"

"Now Akamaru!" Aki yelled out, a loud bark rang out from above as a large mass of snow landed on top of the group. Pushing through the surface, Kiba spat out the melted snow and looked up to see his canine companion standing on the tree branch of the large oak that was now free from snow. Aki and Yukiko walked to the porch and sat down as Kiba and the two genin climbed awkwardly out from their snow prison. "That was a great plan Yukiko-san." Aki grinned.

"Yes, effective." Sonzo agreed. "However, even with that last hit of snow, Kiba and his team has still won." he met his grandson's gaze. "Only narrowly though." the elderly man stood and stretched before returning into the house.

"Hey! Kiba-sensei. We should make a snowman you know for… 'teambuilding' you know?" Shinji suggested with a broad grin as he threw his arms over the shoulders of his two team-mates. The dog ninja chuckled and waved them on. Might as well let them do as they pleased for the day and pass it off as training.

"You're soaked." Yukiko said softly, Kiba turned to see the young woman staring at his clothes sticking to his body before she met his gaze. "You could get sick." she said, concern shining in her eyes. The Inuzuka smiled.

"I'll be fine, don't worry about me. I'm a ninja and an Inuzuka. It'll take more than a pile of melted snow and cold wind to get me sick." he boasted, giving her a confident, toothy grin. He could see that she wasn't convinced but she bit the inside of her cheek, nodded and said nothing further. The two sat on the wooden steps and flinched as Akamaru shook his wet fur next to them before bounding over to the genin again. "He'll need to have a bath tonight…" he mused mostly to himself.

"Does he like baths?"

"Depends. If dirt is really caked into his fur and I have to scrub hard he doesn't like that." Kiba chuckled while he supervised his charges.

The day progressed quickly. That was the beauty of snow days. The genin were kept busy and in some way did train certain skills but not in the way that Kiba had hoped. When the three students had gone home, Kiba set about cleaning Akamaru who was now soaked, cold and covered in wet dirt which would be easy to clean. Sitting on the edge of the bath, back against the wall and feet in the warm water, he poured shampoo onto the off white fur and began to rub. Foam and bubbles began to quickly form and lather on Akamaru's head and between Kiba's fingers. He glanced back as the door opened to see Yukiko enter. Watching silently, he kept his eyes on her form as she moved silently and gracefully to the tub. Kneeling down, the young woman grabbed a small cloth, dipped it into the warm water and began to assist Kiba in cleaning the dog. "You don't have to…"

"I know. But I want to." Yukiko answered looking up to her fiancé and gave him a tiny smile which grew when the dog currently being cleaned and pampered licked her cheek, smearing bubbles onto her skin. A pair of amethyst eyes strayed from the animal to move over the Inuzuka's face. He didn't seem himself. He was pale, seemed to be breaking out into a sweat and was moving slowly as he cleaned the dog. Akamaru seemed to sense the same thing she did and whined, looking at Kiba.

His usually warm brown eyes were dimmed and unfocussed, blinking slowly. The next thing Kiba new, he was tilting forward heading face first for the bath water when something held him upright. Suddenly something wonderfully cold touched his head. Giving out a low, contented groan Kiba leaned into the soothing feeling. "You're sick…" a soft, calm voice echoed into his foggy mind, even in his state he could still tell it was Yukiko. However all Kiba could do was grumble at her and move heavily as she led him to their room.

Yukiko was silently grateful that Kiba had changed into fresh, dry clothes sometime after the genin went home. It would have been very awkward if she had to undress him and change him. Immediately her thoughts wandered. She'd seen him shirtless and everything else was left up to her imagination. Blushing madly, she shook her head and bit her lip. Now was not the time for such thoughts. But since coming to Konoha, those type of thoughts started and usually persisted. She couldn't help it. Kiba was different to the husband she thought she was going to have and in the rare times it happened, she -although very inexperienced and somewhat scared- was responsive and accepting of his touch. All her life she felt sickened by and resisted any thoughts of sex or physical contact with the unknown man she'd have to marry. Now however, that seemed to be changing.

Reaching the bedroom, Yukiko lay Kiba down on the bed and set an empty waste bin closer to him just in case he had to be sick and couldn't make it to the bathroom in time. Happy that he was fine for now, she left to sort out Akamaru who still sat patiently in his tub of hot water. Drying the animal as best as she could with a towel, she returned to Kiba while Akamaru headed to the living room, the fire was burning so he could dry quickly there. Slowly and quietly, Yukiko shut the bedroom door behind her. But Kiba still knew she was there and what she was doing.

"Yukiko…c'mere." he groaned, lifting one arm and let it fall back down heavily onto the bed, his feeble attempt at waving her over. Obeying, she stood by the bed, only to be yanked onto the mattress next to him. "You're cold… it's nice." he sighed, pressing his hot forehead into the crook of her cold skin. Yukiko found herself with her arm around Kiba as he lay on his side, pressed tightly against her. If she didn't know any better it seemed that Kiba was trying to absorb all of her naturally cooler body temperature in an attempt to cool his burning skin. The man's body was relaxing and his breathing was definitely evening out but he was still awake. Sleep was close but his current state wasn't allowing him the rest he so badly needed. Slowly Yukiko began to trail her fingertips down Kiba's arm as far as they would go and made the journey back up, around his shoulder and back down. Absently tracing odd patterns to cool his skin. It worked as she noticed goosebumps breaking out onto his bronzed skin. As she continued this, she pulled the blanket tighter over him with her free hand before moving it into his hair. Oddly it was soft, she had always thought it would be rough. Smiling softly, Yukiko placed her fingers into his scalp and slowly rubbed and massaged, earning a low, tired growl of approval. Finally, Kiba fell asleep but Yukiko continued her movements and thought in amusement on how Kiba had declared that he wouldn't get sick so easily. It looked like she'd be taking care of him until he got better. She didn't mind though, it was nice to feel useful and it felt nice to care for the sleeping man next to her.


	8. Our Gifts To You

**Okay so I'm first going to say I'm really really sorry about not updating but my birthday, christmas, new years and my sister's birthday all happened in the time frame from december to january and that mixed in with my school work and applying to uni's for september kept me delayed in posting this latest chapter. I could only get a few sentences in here and there but now that I am off from school for ten days hopefully I'll get another chapter or two out. **

**I can't believe this is chapter eight and the wedding still hasn't happened. If my mental planning is accurate it should happen about chapter ten. And just to let all my lovely readers know the plot will be getting more serious and a little darker in some of the future chapters. It can't all be sweetness and rainbows all the time. So thank you to everyone who reads, reviews and favourites this story. Love you all **

**-Erreki**

* * *

><p><strong>Our Gifts To You<strong>

Kiba's head was pounding. His nose was blocked, he ached everywhere and the thought of food turned his stomach. He'd been bedridden for four days now. Sakura had been over to check him out, said it would pass within a week and that was it. Hana found it all hilarious, Sonzo had said he should have listened to Yukiko when he had the chance to change into clean clothes. Tsume found it adorable that her son seemed to revert back into a child when he was sick. In the past he would have depended entirely on his mother, now however it seemed she had been replaced with her son's fiancée.

The future alpha had been slightly confused when he woke up after falling ill to be clinging to Yukiko tightly and for her to be massaging his head while slowly running her fingers up and down his arm. But he felt horrible and enjoyed the feeling of what she was doing. He was thankful that she didn't give him an 'I told you so' but that seemed to have been done for her in the forms of Hana and Sonzo. Hell, even Akamaru seemed unhappy with him at first but that was most likely out of worry for his master. Like everything regarding Yukiko, Kiba felt conflicted. On the one hand, he didn't want her to take care of him if she didn't want to but on the other hand he liked the fact she was looking after him while he was sick. When he was too warm, she refused to let him take off any of the covers and instead allowed him to use her as his personal cooling pack, usually placing them in the position he'd woken up to on the first day.

On the fifth day of his sickness, he sat propped up against the pillows with Akamaru lying next to him finally feeling a lot better than he had been. The door opened and the smell of food drifted to him. For the first time in almost a week he felt hungry and the smell of meat made his stomach growl. As Yukiko approached with the tray his eyes lit up, his favourite meal that his mother would make when he was ill as a child was meeting his hungry gaze. He looked to Yukiko. "How did you know to make this?" he asked.

"Your mother told me." She replied, instinctively Kiba felt annoyed, he thought they were starting to break through this. Yukiko still wasn't comfortable in talking to him about things he liked and things he didn't. She went to his mother to ask what to make him. "I had asked you when you first got sick what food you'd like when you were feeling better but you were delirious and I don't think you would have appreciated that meal compared to this." she said, guessing correctly what the annoyed look on his face was about. Kiba looked at her and smiled sheepishly.

"What did I say then?" he asked, hoping it wasn't too embarrassing.

"Crocodile soup and Shino's sunglasses for dessert." Kiba groaned and rubbed his head. Sighing he took the tray from her and stopped. Brown eyes narrowed as the woman in front of him had her lips pressed together tightly.

"You were joking?" he accused, she nodded. "So I didn't say I wanted to eat crocodile soup and Shino's sunglasses?" Yukiko nodded again. Kiba screwed his face up like a pouting child. "That wasn't funny."

"Maybe not, you believed me though so that's the funny part." she replied, Kiba smirked as he began to eat his meal.

"Was I really delirious or were you making that up too?"

"No you were delirious. You said and did some strange things, you told me some honest things and then went to sleep."

"Strange how?"

"I asked if you felt better and you replied by laughing, congratulated me on my 'fantastic ass', gave me the thumbs up and then hit me." Kiba choked and slapped his chest, he wheezed and looked at Yukiko in shock. Blank mask back on her face and her scent was honest. His eyes roamed over her features, her neck, the exposed skin of her lower arms and legs from the knee down. She was mark free. But she said that he hit her, that was his concern.

"Yukiko, I'm so sorry. Where did I hit you?" he apologized, sitting up more on the bed. She didn't seem angry or afraid of him, despite what he had done. The woman blinked.

"Don't be sorry, it wasn't a hard hit and as for the where…" she trailed off and didn't need to say more. Realisation hit Kiba and he sighed.

"Your…fantastic ass?" he asked. Yukiko nodded and sat down at the bottom of the bed, tucking her legs under her. "Though it wasn't really that strange was it?" he asked as he continued to eat. "From what I can tell, it is pretty fantastic." he stated casually, spotting Yukiko grow tense and a shade of red that he'd yet to see blaze across her cheeks. The woman looked out the window, her pale blonde hair hiding her face now. Kiba grinned. "So what else did I say and do? Hope I didn't grope you in any other way…" he teased before taking a slow drink of water.

"Just said some things like you were back in school. When you tried to get out of bed and I stopped you, you called me Iruka-sensei. Then you rambled and finally told me some honest stuff."

"Like?" he pressed.

"Favourite food. About your friends and what you did growing up…" she bit her lip and looked back at him. "And you talked about when you went to rescue Sasuke Uchiha and fought some people called Sakon and Ukon." Kiba stopped eating and looked at her.

"What else did I say about that?"

"That someone called Kankuro saved you and he's the reason you're still here today and you're going to name your first child after him in someway." The last part wasn't that surprising, even after all this time and all the near death experiences he'd gone through in his life, Kankuro was the one Kiba felt most indebted to and was going to honour him in some way.

"How did that part of my life ever come up though?" Kiba asked.

"Hana said that with the groaning you were doing, someone would think you were about to die. When she left you started talking about it."

Kiba nodded and let his gaze fall over Yukiko's pale, neutral face. "Are you worried about what I said? About the naming a child after him?" he asked. They both knew they would have to provide an heir- well multiple heirs- but they never talked about it or the act in having children, even though both of them had pictured it at some stage (not that they would ever say to the other though.) He watched as she silently moved up the bed to kneel next to him and Akamaru. Her soft, cool hand lay on his and she looked at him with serious purple orbs. "I will give you as many children as I can Kiba and will name them whatever you want. Giving a child of ours the name of the person that saved your life is an honour." Kiba listened to her and turned his hand so his palm met hers. Curling his large fingers around her hand, almost covering it from view, he gave it a small squeeze. "What about you?" he asked, seeing the confusion in her eyes he explained. "When we have kids, what would you want to name them? What about naming our first girl after your mother?" he suggested. Yukiko used her free hand to push her hair from her face before she answered.

"Hina is my mother's namesake. My father thought it would be fitting. To be honest I've never thought about names for any children I'd have. I was told that would always be my husband's decision. " Kiba blinked at her in confusion.

How could she not have thought about possible baby names? Sure growing up and learning to be the 'perfect' wife meant she couldn't voice her opinions but he always thought it was one of the many fantasies girls had along with the perfect wedding, dream husband etc etc. "Why didn't you ever think about names then?" he asked.

"Deep down I figured it would just upset me. Why think of a name I could never give my child? It doesn't bother me now though. You'll come up with wonderful names." she informed him. Kiba sighed and lifted his hand to lightly tap Yukiko on the forehead.

The woman reached up to touch where he hit with a tiniest of frowns. "I'm not going to be picking all the names. It'll be a joint effort. That's how marriages are meant to be." he stated with his usual toothy grin before giving her a serious look. "What exactly were you told marriage was going to be like?"

Yukiko shifted and pressed her lips together, seeming to search for the right words before she answered. "I was told that I was not going to be my own person. My emotions and thoughts would not matter to my husband. I was essentially going to be an object and a trophy that he could do as he wished to. I would do whatever he said and fulfil all of his needs if he wished and that would be it."

"So if you had been engaged to a man who hit you…?" Kiba asked roughly.

"I would have no choice but to bear it and be as silent as possible." she finished. "I've been prepared to be given a cruel, abusive husband who only wanted me to be the carrier of his children and satisfy all of his needs but instead I get a man like you and I couldn't be happier." she had looked away from the Inuzuka as she spoke, the blush becoming more noticeable.

Kiba could never explain his actions when he was with this woman. It was like his body always reacted instinctively when she was around. This usually happened more so when he saw her blush, it was definitely a sight he enjoyed seeing. After she finished speaking, he found himself, securing his hold on the hand that had been resting on top of his and pulled her forward. Wrapping an arm around her waist and holding her chin with his free hand, his lips found hers in a kiss unlike the small number of ones they had shared before. This one was more heated. Maybe it had been hearing her talk of what her life would have been like. Or it could have been about him thinking of another man mistreating this caring but sheltered woman. Quite possibly having her say she couldn't be happier being engaged made him react like this. Even more logical that it was a mix of all three.

Yukiko had been alarmed and caught completely off guard by the actions of the man holding her close to him. As she felt his lips move against hers, she found herself relaxing and kissing him back. Inexperienced and unsure, her lips moved hesitantly, the low growl of approval eased her anxiety over if she was doing it right. Her hand slid up to lock into his dark brown locks while the other gripped his shoulder. She tensed slightly as Kiba rolled over to pin her against the mattress, their kiss still continued.

"Well, looks like you're a million times better…." a voice laughed from the door. Kiba lifted his head and turned it to narrow his eyes at the interrupter. Standing in the doorway was Tenten, Neji and Rock Lee. Lee was blushing and Neji seemed to be more interested in looking at the wall farthest away from the couple. And although he feigned disinterest, Kiba could make out a small blush of the Hyuuga's cheeks. Only Tenten met Kiba's glare with a wide grin. Clearly she had been the one to speak.

"Something you needed or is this a hobby of Team Gai's now? Breaking into peoples houses and stopping whatever it is they are doing for the hell of it?" the Inuzuka asked pointedly, not moving an inch.

"Hmm? Oh yeah. Sakura sent us. She says that you are to hand over your fiancée in an hour. We're taking her out shopping as a birthday treat." Tenten smiled at Yukiko.

"And the whole gang is meeting up tonight for drinks to celebrate seeing as you and your family will be spending the actual day with Yukiko." Neji added.

"How youthful! In another day you'll be a whole year older! What age will you be coming Yukiko?" Lee asked.

"Twenty-one…but Tenten you and Sakura don't have to do anything for me."

"It's not just me and Sakura. Hinata and Ino are treating you too and yes we do. It's your birthday tomorrow and this is our gift to you." the brunette weapons wielder smiled before winking at Kiba. "So finish up whatever you two were doing and I'll be back later." she laughed before she left with her team.

Kiba sighed and hung his head, letting it touch Yukiko's shoulder lightly. "Sorry about that…" he said.

"Why do you apologize? You didn't know they were here." she answered, a small crease on her forehead appeared as she spoke. Lightly shaking his head, Kiba lay on his side next to Yukiko.

"I meant I'm sorry for what I did." he watched the tiny crease deepening, an odd emotion glistening in her eyes.

"You mean you didn't want to kiss me?" she asked, her voice sounding a little strange too.

"No! Not that! It's just the way I acted about it." he told her sheepishly. "You know, practically lunging at you. Can you forgive me for that?" he asked.

"No." that surprised Kiba, a lot actually. For a moment he thought it was because she was mad but then she continued. "There's nothing to forgive in my eyes. I'm actually not sorry you did it…It was nice." The dog ninja looked at his fiancée and smirked as he watched her slowly bite her lower lip as she stared up at the ceiling. He noticed the light flush of her cheeks and her chest rising and falling a little quickly than normal but it seemed to be calming. His dark brown eyes landed on the clock. According to Tenten she and Sakura would be back in a hour. Plenty of time. Moving closer, he wrapped his arm around her waist.

A deep chuckle began to rumble in his chest when he felt her stiffen and the just gone blush come back, the pink was far more noticeable against her pale white skin. While Yukiko was skilled in keeping a blank face and neutral tone, Kiba found that she wasn't able to stop her body's reactions to certain things. Blushing was a big one and the Inuzuka heir found that he loved making her blush. Slowly she looked at him and it was Kiba's turn to stiffen. Intense, burning purple eyes fixed on him. The usually clear, sharp amethyst was darker and a little dazed. He was about to capture her lips again when he heard his mother call him. The Inuzuka sighed and got up with a quick 'be right back' and left the room.

Yukiko watched him leave and let out the breath she had been holding. What on earth was happening to her? She had never blushed before coming to Konoha and now it seemed like she was doing it at least once a day. Letting her hand fall to her forehead and push the pale blonde strands from her face, she stared up at the ceiling, trying to get a grip on herself and work on putting the neutral mask back on her face. "THE FUCKING BASTARD DID WHAT?" Kiba's sudden furious yell made Yukiko jump and look to the door with wide eyes. Slowly she sat up and bit her lip. Should she go out and see what was wrong? But Tsume had only called her son out…it would be rude to insert herself into a matter that had nothing to do with her. No, she'd stay where she was and she wouldn't listen. It was even more disgraceful to eavesdrop. Yukiko put her hands over her ears. "I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL FUCKING KILL HIM!" her fiancé's second yell crashed through her makeshift barrier.

"Would you keep your voice down?" Sonzo growled at his grandson who was pacing angrily around the living room like a caged animal. Kiba snapped his head over to the elder with a fierce glare that would have unnerved the strongest of men. But being a former alpha, Sonzo was more impressed than scared.

"Why should I?" Kiba snarled back furiously. At least he didn't yell this time.

"Because you need to stop letting your emotions show. You're going to be alpha soon and you can't let everyone know when something bothers you." Sonzo lectured. "And secondly you're scaring Yukiko." Kiba's expression froze and the anger slipped away. He turned to look at the open living room door. Lightly he sniffed the air. His grandfather was right. Mixed in with the usual scent of violets and jasmine was fear and anxiety. He frowned and was about to find her when his grandfather placed a hand on his shoulder. "We have to see to Hokage now Kiba. Yukiko will be fine besides from what I heard she'll be going out in a little while." Kiba looked at his elder in annoyance but let out an angry sigh.

"Yeah, just let me get dressed…" he grumbled before storming out of the room and back to the bedroom. He stopped to see Yukiko wasn't there. Had he really frightened her that much by yelling? Quickly throwing on non-ninja clothes and his sandals, he left the estate with his Grandfather, Akamaru and Aomaru faithfully by their sides. Casting a glance back at the estate he spotted Yukiko in the still snow filled garden talking to Hana. "After we speak to the Hokage, you're going to have to get her a birthday present." Kiba tensed. Shit! He'd been bedridden for the past week that he didn't get the chance to get Yukiko a gift. What would she like? Could this day get any worse?

* * *

><p>Yukiko was left staring at the group of females, all either grinning wildly or smiling excitedly. "Pick anything you want Yukiko!" Tenten encouraged. Yukiko looked around the large boutique uncertainly. "And don't worry about price. This is your present. Ino is paying for an outfit. Sakura's paying for shoes, Hinata's got accessories and I have makeup and perfume."<p>

"But why?"

"We told you it's your birthday present but you can't wear any of it until next week." Ino grinned.

"What's next week?" Yukiko asked. She was feeling nervous but didn't let it show, she'd showed too much emotion today already.

"Your bachelorette party of course." Sakura laughed. Yukiko blinked. Her what? Clearly her lack of a response got the attention of the four females. "You do know what that is right?" she shook her head. Three of them gasped in shock. Hinata however gave her a reassuring smile and lightly took her hand. "Come on let's start looking for something nice." she said kindly, getting everyone else thinking about shopping so the current topic wouldn't continue just at the moment.

"Nice?" Ino scoffed. "Please! We need to find her something HOT! Something that says 'you aren't getting any of this!' Ladies, fan out!" the blonde ordered. Tenten and Sakura nodded and headed off in different directions of the store. Yukiko looked to Hinata who only sighed and hung her head.

"You'll get used to them. I promise." the raven haired woman assured her.

Before Yukiko knew it all four women had loaded multiple outfits into her arms and led her to the dressing rooms. Sliding the large curtain closed, Yukiko looked uncertainly at the clothes she had to try on. They all seemed to loom over her. None of it was anything she was used to. Being in the Snow Country all of her life she wore fine kimonos and nothing else. She only really pushed her clothing choices out as far as summer dresses that went past her knees or long sleeve t shirts or jumpers and skirts. Where was she to start? Biting her lip, she pulled off her own clothes and quickly pulled on the electric blue halter top and black mini skirt- one of Ino's combinations- and looked in the mirror. "Come on out! Let's see!" Sakura called from outside. Yukiko fidgeted on the spot, rubbing her arm with her hand before she took a deep breath and pulled the dark curtain back to show the others. And so that pattern continued, hearing the girls squeal, ooh, ahh and hmm with each outfit she presented herself in. Even the workers in the store decided to help in this game of life sized dress up.

Finally at long last the four kunoichi and workers agreed on unanimously on for Yukiko to wear. "Now that we have my gift taken care of we can let the others get theirs." Ino beamed happily, holding out the bag for Yukiko to take.

"Thank you Ino but…it's very expensive and too much."

"Nonsense. Once your gift is taken care of we're all going to go shopping for ourselves and I've been saving up forever for the perfect pair of shoes that are the cost of nearly three S rank mission pay cheques." Yukiko gave a small smile and looked at her bag before letting the others lead her to the next level of the boutique in search of shoes.

"Shouldn't you have done this before the day before her birthday?" Shino asked with a frown. Kiba looked to his friend in exasperation.

"Because I was sick and I only found out her birthday was coming up a little while before I was sick."

"You could have asked Hana to get something while you were bedridden."

"I hadn't thought of that…"

"What have you thought about getting her?"

"To be honest no…" The Inuzuka sighed. "And the only gifts I've ever given to girls were for Hana, mom and Hinata. You know I've never had a relationship that lasted long enough to buy a girl a birthday present."

"I distinctly remember that one girl you picked up on her birthday…" Shino grinned.

"Doesn't count I don't even know that girl's name."

"Do you think Yukiko knows anything about your reputation?" the Aburame asked thoughtfully. Kiba paused mid-step and frowned at the ground.

"I hope not." He replied. Usually Kiba would have been completely open and honest about his bachelor, play boy ways. Hell every woman in Konoha and the surrounding villages and cities knew about him. But he wanted to keep that from Yukiko. As if reading his thoughts, Shino spoke as they turned into the café that Kurenai would treat them to food after a hard mission or a long day of training.

"It's not like you to be secretive. Are you scared of her finding out?"

"Not scared…It's just…" Kiba paused and frowned. What was it? "…it's the way she looks at me." He began as he looked over the menu when they sat at a free table. "She looks at me like I'm this amazing person. Like I can't do any wrong. I guess I don't want her to see me differently than that." Shino listened and fought a smile.

"Doesn't sound like you. You never cared what anyone thought of you. Yukiko seems to be having some sort of affect on you." he said seriously before grinning. "Kiba's growing up!" he teased. Kiba scowled but smirked lightly.

"Maybe I am…"

"So 'grown up Kiba' what are you going to get Yukiko for her birthday?" Shino asked only to chuckle when Kiba let out a groan and let his head fall loudly onto the table.

"Oh look it's Sakura and the others…" Shino spoke up, looking out of the window of the café as they ate. Kiba bit into his food and looked over. Sure enough Yukiko, Sakura, Hinata, Ino and Tenten where all walking down the street. All of them with a lot of bags. Kiba slowly chewed and couldn't help but look curiously at the bags Yukiko had. His eyes bugged out and his food suddenly caught in his throat causing him to choke and poke on his chest. Shino looked at his friend with worry as Kiba wheezed, managed to swallow his food. Still coughing he took a drink of water and sighed heavily. "You want to tell me what that was about Kiba?" Shino asked. Kiba wheezed lightly and waved his hand in the direction of the girls, mainly the bags that Yukiko held. Sighing, Shino turned his head and looked. At first he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. They were just shopping bags. The girls had stopped down the street and looking at a menu pinned up outside a restaurant. With them still in view, Shino watched as Yukiko turned slightly and then he saw it. The bug ninja did nothing at first except raise his eyebrows and then a slow grin began to curve his lips. Knowing that his friend finally saw it Kiba all but growled, throat raw from choking. "What the hell is she doing with one of those bags?"

"I thought a man as experienced as you and with a vast knowledge on it would have a fair idea…" Shino grinned. "I mean what were you expecting her to wear on your wedding night? A floor length sheet?"

"Not funny Shino." Kiba snarled in a tone that Shino knew not to press the subject.

"Look she is with the girls shopping and in case you forgot Ino, Sakura and Tenten are the majority. There is only so much Hinata can do to restrain them. When women shop in groups they go to those types of stores." he shrugged. Kiba was still staring out the window at the group who had begun to enter the restaurant.

* * *

><p>Pacing around the living room that evening, Kiba;'s mind was racing with thoughts. What happened this morning, what happened in the Hokage's office and lunch with Shino. Irritated, he scratched his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "You really should calm yourself…" a deep voice informed him. Throwing his gaze over, he locked his eyes on Kuromaru, his mothers wolf-like partner.<p>

"Can I help you at all?" the future alpha asked, still continuing his pacing for the hell of it.

"You could sit down, the mistress is on her way." Mistress? Kiba frowned. "Your mate…" the animal clarified.

"Why are you calling her mistress all of a sudden?"

"I always have. She is to marry you. All the Inuzuka dogs will obey her once you are wed and you are properly initiated as the new alpha. I thought that would have been obvious…"The old dog mused. Kiba scowled. "You act differently around her now than you had at the start." the scowl deepened. Letting out a sigh, Kiba walked passed the lightly chuckling dog and headed into the kitchen. The sound of the front door opening caught his attention. He looked out the door to see Ino in front and the others behind her. "Get back in that kitchen Kiba!" Sakura ordered with a grin. "You aren't allowed to see any of the things Yukiko got. Run Yukiko, we'll keep him back." the pinkette told the pale blonde. Amethyst eyes looked to the women silently before she looked at Kiba. The Inuzuka looked over the females and finally landed on Yukiko. He gave her a smile. "Don't worry, I won't try any of your clothes on." he assured. Tenten placed her hands on Yukiko's shoulders and lightly pushed her in the direction of her and Kiba's bedroom.

"Come on if you two keep staring at each other there will no doubt be a repeat of his morning in the middle of the hall and having one visual will be enough for a lifetime." the weapons user sang happily. Kiba felt the back of his neck heat slightly and the piercing stare of many eyes on him. Looking over he saw Kuromaru looking out of the living room and grinning. Ino and Sakura looked at him with wide glimmering eyes, wanting all the details. Hinata just blushed and smiled slightly. Kiba folded his arms tightly and arched an eyebrow at Sakura and Ino, he wasn't saying a word. The two women pouted and grinned before running down the hall. One calling for Tenten while the other called for Yukiko.

"A toast to the birthday girl!" Naruto crowed raising his beer bottle into the air. Multiple calls of cheers and 'to Yukiko!' rang from the table as everyone clinked their bottles and glasses together. The birthday girl looked at the bright red drink that had just been placed in front of her and looked to Tenten who beamed. "Strawberry daiquiri. Trust me you'll need it in a moment." the brunette grinned. "BIRTHDAY SHOT!" came the sudden yell making Yukiko look behind Tenten with wide eyes to see Ino waving a bottle and holding a tiny glass that was set down on the table and filled to the brim with the dark, strong smelling liquid. Picking it up the blonde lightly sniffed it and wrinkled her nose slightly unintentionally.

"It's best to just throw it back and not think about it." Kiba told her before he took a sip of his beer. Nodding, Yukiko eyed the glass. Careful not to spill any, she leaned forward and drained the glass to the sound of the group cheering. She tensed and set the shot glass down, eyes shut firmly. Blinking she reached forward and grabbed the bright drink Tenten had gotten for her.

The ice cold, deliciously sweet liquid cooled the burning, sharp taste that the shot had brought. Yukiko could have kissed Tenten for thinking ahead but didn't for many reasons. "Want another?" Ino asked, waving the bottle. Yukiko, still drinking her daiquiri through a straw lifted her gaze to the fellow blonde. Unable to properly see the look Ino got, Kiba merely chuckled when Ino gave a nervous laugh and set the bottle down. Clearly the look was effective enough to control Ino of all people- who from Kiba's experience was known to keep pushing alcohol on her friends- in one go. Setting her drink down, Yukiko sat back and was quickly brought into a conversation with Chouji. Kiba turned his head to have Naruto throw his arm around the Inuzuka's shoulder, grinning foxily.

"You know that grin makes me uneasy….What's up with you?" the brunette asked warily only to see the grin widen and deep cerulean eyes landed on him.

"I hear things are going very well with you and Yukiko." he whispered gleefully. Kiba sighed and looked over at Sakura and Ino. "Wasn't them that told me…Hinata did." That surprised Kiba. Looking behind Naruto the Hyuga smiled warmly at him. Kiba was about to reply when Tenten called out that it was time for presents. Kiba felt Yukiko stiffen next to him.

"I don't need any more presents. What you and the others got me this afternoon was more than enough." Yukiko spoke up, genuinely overwhelmed with all the attention she was getting. This evening she was unwinding a little and the neutral mask had come down but only slightly although that was probably to do with the alcohol.

"Don't be ridiculous Yukiko." Chouji spoke up kindly. "Just because the girls got you something means you have to refuse the gifts we got you." The large male coaxed, seeing the centre of attention beginning to give in. Just one more push. "You'll probably make us all feel bad if you don't accept them…" That did it. Yukiko opened her mouth and closed it before nodded in defeat. Laughing, Chouji handed over his gift bag. Everyone watched silently as Yukiko reached in and pulled out a beautiful scarf that blended from green to blue. The light material was decorated with purple and lilac swirls and flowers. Yukiko lightly stroked the material and smiled at Chouji. "It's lovely. Thank you." she told him, lightly squeezing his hand before wrapping the light garment around her neck.

The second gift was from Rock Lee. As the bowl-cut taijutsu master passed over the unwrapped box, the lid opened slightly Kiba and Naruto caught a small glimpse. "You didn't…" Kiba choked out in shock. Lee merely gave him the thumbs up. Yukiko looked at the box uncertainly, if Kiba's reaction was anything to go by it might not be safe. Lifting the lid she blinked at the bright orange mass. "Thank you Lee, but could you kindly tell me what it…" she began to lift it out only to see it was actually two objects. "they are?" she amended.

"Leg warmers!" Lee grinned happily. Neji sighed and put his head in his hand. Some of the others cringed, the rest were either grinning or looking at Yukiko apologetically. The entire group had all received a pair of bright orange legwarmers from Lee at some point or another. Tenten and Neji had gotten countless pairs over the years from both their teammate and sensei.

"That's very thoughtful Lee, thank you." Yukiko told the male before setting the box on her lap.

Neji's gift was next although everyone was very sure Tenten or Hinata helped him. While Neji didn't hand out bright legwarmers he was just as clueless about gift giving especially when it came to buy for females. Under the wrapping paper was a bottle of perfume. Kiba recognised the brand name. Pretty pricey. He himself felt a little unsure about perfume for Yukiko. As far as he could tell she didn't use any and if she did start wearing it, it would probably change her natural scent; something he very much liked. He kept silent though, only ninja like he and his family could tell what a person's natural scent was. After smelling it, Sakura asked to smell it too. Passing it over, Sakura smelt the perfume and sighed contently. "It's like violets." she gushed before handing it back. Kiba arched an eyebrow and watched as Naruto held up his hands. "Sorry Yukiko but your present isn't here. I promise you will get it soon." he grinned.

"What on earth could you have possibly gotten her that's taking so long?" Sakura asked with a frown.

"He's probably forgotten and is stalling…" Sasuke guessed handing over his gift.

"I have not! I swear that it's on it's way."

"I believe you Naruto, don't worry." Yukiko assured him softly before unwrapping the Uchiha's gift. Her bright purple eyes widened as she was met with the sight of a dark brown box, ornately carved and painted. Delicately she opened the lid and a soft, tune began to play. Closing it again so others in the bar didn't get annoyed, Yukiko smiled softly at Sasuke and thanked him before taking another drink.

Shino was next with his gift of multiple books, most of it was fiction but a couple held world history and the cultures of different nations. "I expected something like this from Shikamaru…" Ino frowned. Shino glanced at the Yamanaka. "Actually Ino, I got Hana to ask Yukiko what books she liked."

"He's right Ino although I thought that was going to be Hana's gift for me." Yukiko said with a small frown. Shino smirked.

"No, Hana's gift will be different from books."

"Thank you Shino." the young woman smiled. Shikamaru yawned and pulled out his gift with an odd glint in his eyes.

"I'm sure you'll like it." he stated confidently as he always did when he made predictions. Removing the paper, Yukiko smiled lightly at the boxed shogi game in her hands. "We still need to have that game."

"Why not tonight?" she posed looking at him evenly. Shikamaru's smirk widened.

"Okay, we'll play after Sai gives you the last gift of the night."

"Here you go Yukiko." Sai offered his gift next, a beaming smile on his face. Yukiko frowned at the weight and size of the gift. It was loosely wrapped in pale yellow crate paper that was pushed apart and the faintest of gasps could be heard, even Kiba was a little shocked by the gift. "Sai…" Yukiko whispered. When Tenten begged to see the gift, Yukiko lifted the framed canvas and turned it to show everyone. On the canvas was a painted scene that everyone recognised from the first time they met Yukiko in the same booth of the bar. The scene was when Yukiko had fallen into Kiba's side, one hand on his chest and his hand on her waist, the two of them looking at each other. "This must have taken you a long time to do Sai it's wonderful." Yukiko murmured. Sai continued to smile.

"I sketched it the night it happened and I've been working on it since. I finished it a couple of weeks ago. I'm glad you like it."

After another two hours in the bar consisting of drinking, talking and watching a few intense games of Shogi between Yukiko and Shikamaru- both of them winning twice which was surprising given Yukiko's opponent was a genius- the large group disbanded and went their separate ways. Yukiko held some of her lighter gifts that managed to fit in the box Rock Lee gave her containing the legwarmers and Kiba and Akamaru carried the rest. "So you must be a genius too if you managed to beat Shikamaru at his favourite game." Kiba grinned, the alcohol making him relaxed and warm inside and clearly Yukiko was a little tipsy because she gave a small giggle and licked her lips before answering.

"My dad is a general remember? I was introduced to the game at a very young age so I had to have picked up something along the way." Kiba chuckled as they walked down the path of the Inuzuka estate. Once they entered, they carefully set the gifts down on the coffee table in the living room, deciding to sort everything out in the morning.

Throwing his arm around Yukiko's shoulder, Kiba walked with her to their bedroom. "Kiba what's a bachelorette party?" Yukiko asked as she sat down on the edge of the bed and reclined back, placing her hands behind her to keep her upper half propped up. Kiba looked at her in surprise, wondering where the hell that came from. But then again, he remembered who she'd spent most of the day with. "It's a girls only night out. Kind of a farewell to single life and celebrating that it's over before you get married. You'll have one with Sakura and the other girls a few days before the wedding and on the same night I'll be out with the guys for my bachelor party." he explained as he changed. Yukiko processed the information and nodded, satisfied with the answer. She unwrapped the scarf and set it on the dresser before she grabbed her nightdress and walked to the bathroom to change. While she was changing, Kiba climbed into the bed and lightly pushed Akamaru out of the way so he had more room to lie down. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the comfortable mattress and covers. With his minutely dulled senses due to alcohol he didn't know Yukiko had returned until the covers moved and she lay down. Kiba felt Akamaru move from his spot to Yukiko's side. Cracking an eye open he saw the large dog nuzzle her face and begin to lick her cheeks, nearing her lips. The young woman giggled but squirmed away from the animal just in time, holding her hands up to block anymore advances. She didn't want Akamaru to be licking her face this late at night. All she wanted to do was sleep. However her squirming caused her back to hit Kiba's front. Tilting her head back, her eyes met his in the darkness. For both of them, the memories of what had happened that morning came back.

Kiba leaned forward and lightly pressed his lips to Yukiko's, tasting the strawberries from her drinks- probably what made Akamaru so eager to lick her. The kiss was soft and tender. They parted and Kiba lightly kissed her forehead goodnight. Letting his arm fall over her waist, the two drifted to sleep.

* * *

><p>The soft nudge against his head slowly woke Kiba up. Frowning he opened his eyes to see his faithful canine partner and Aomaru on the bed. Looking at the doorway he saw his grandfather and nodded. Ordering Akamaru to stay and make sure Yukiko remained in the bed, he silently slipped out to help his family. Twenty minutes later, Kiba, Sonzo, Tsume and Hana stood in the doorway. A nod from Kiba and Aomaru and Akamaru barked loudly. Yukiko bolted upright in the bed, looking from the dogs to the Inuzukas in the doorway. "Happy Birthday!" Hana grinned, running at the bed and jumping onto the free space a large, oddly shaped gift under her arm. Tsume approached with a breakfast tray and set it on the bedside table. Sonzo sat on the other side of the bed next to Aomaru while Kiba remained in the doorway. Hana pushed her gift forward. "This is from me and mum. We hope you like it." she grinned. With the sound of tearing paper and a small gasp, Kiba grinned to see Yukiko's eyes light slightly at the gift. Opening the black case, she pulled out a shiny, dark mahogany violin and bow.<p>

"I remembered you playing it the day we met and noticed you didn't bring it with you so I guessed you needed another. Look they even put the Inuzuka mark on the back. "

"Thank you Hana, Tsume. This must have cost a fortune."

"Why do you think I split the gift with her?" the two asked in unison before laughing.

"Here's my gift, child." Sonzo offered, passing over a small blue velvet box. Taking it lightly, Yukiko opened it and looked to Sonzo silently.

"I can't."

"You will. It's yours." he told her firmly. Swallowing Yukiko lifted out a silver chain. On it was a white circle diamond with triangular rubies on either side.

"Dad! That's mothers." Kiba looked at the necklace in shock. Up until the day she died, his grandmother never took off the necklace. Kiba didn't think his grandfather would ever give something like that up. The gesture was clear that Sonzo liked Yukiko and trusted her enough with it.

"Your mother told me to save it until an Inuzuka of the future generations came. With your line of work and Hana's I didn't want to risk it getting broken or lost. Besides it suits her best, don't you think?" the elderly man said as he fastened the chain around Yukiko's neck. Yukiko lightly squeezed Hana and Tsume's hands before she lay her hand on Sonzo's. The three smiled and rose. "We'll let you have breakfast and Kiba still needs to give you his present." Tsume grinned before they left.

Kiba smiled at his family members as they left. Once Aomaru had exited the room he instructed Yukiko to close her eyes. Immediately she obeyed and waited. Walking forward, Kiba sat on the bed over Yukiko's legs but didn't let his weight fall on her. Holding out his gift he smirked. "Okay open them."

Yukiko opened her eyes only to be met with a tiny black face and large blue eyes staring at her. In his hands Kiba held a puppy with a bright purple ribbon tied around its neck. "You got me a puppy?" she asked as Kiba set the small animal on his fiancée's lap.

"Not just any puppy, an Inuzuka puppy. I know she didn't cost me anything but I figured since you are a part of the family you'd need a companion like Akamaru is for me. A best friend that will always be by your side to protect and help you. Plus when Akamaru and I are out on missions I guess you won't be alone." Kiba explained, scratching the back of his head hoping he wasn't sounding like a complete moron. He was taken by complete surprise when Yukiko's pale hand curved around the back of his neck while the other touched his face. Dark chocolate eyes met stunning purple.

"She's perfect. The best gift I've ever received." she told him seriously. Kiba grinned and looked down at the tiny black bundle. "What's her name?" she asked.

"The breeder called her Amaya but you can pick something else if you want." he told her but Yukiko shook her head.

"Amaya is a good name, it suits her." she said looking down at the puppy and fondly scratched her behind the ears before she reached over to get her breakfast from the tray.

With her hands gone, Kiba suddenly felt himself missing her touch. Even though it was gentle and innocent he wanted more of it. And that truly made him confused. It made him think about what Kuomaru had been teasing with him yesterday. He rose from the bed at the sudden knock at the door. "I'll get it." he muttered before turning and leaving. Tearing open the front door he was met with Shino.

"Hey man, is Hana here or has she gone to work?" he asked. Kiba ignored the question and pushed forward, grabbing his friend and leading him out to the front garden. "What the hell is up with you? You have a weird look on your face…wait are you _blushing?" _the Aburame heir asked.

"I'll tell you what the hell is up with me Shino." Kiba began, running his hand through his hair, casting a look back to the house and then back to his best friend. "I think I'm falling for her. I think I'm falling for my arranged bride to be and I don't have any idea what to do about that."


	9. Reunions, Dreams and Masks

**I can seriously only apologize a million times for the two years of inactivity with this but a lot happened during that time. With school work, applying to colleges, my laptop dying and losing all of the writing for this fic, finally getting a new laptop, going through my final project suffering a multitude of writing blocks, going through uni and deciding the course wasn't for me, getting a job that takes up a lot of my time and leaves me tired when I come home along with starting another course that is more suited with what I want to do professionally and illnesses within my family it's really put this to the side but I never forgot it and I am finally picking it up again and will definitely finish it. I want to thank the people who have still read this and favourited and put it on their alerts. Seriously you don't know how much that means to me. I really want to stress that this fic will be finished but will probably be slow with updates. I also want to add that this chapter might seem different because getting back into the flow with writing after such a long time is difficult but hopefully you'll enjoy it.**

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><p><strong>Reunions, Dreams and Masks<strong>

"Come on Kiba, what's wrong?" a voice whispered in his ear. The voice was accompanied by a pair of dainty, soft hands moving across his shoulders and down his arms. He turned his head sharply to see no one was there. Looking around he saw that there was nothing but darkness. To his left a row of candles slowly sparked to life, disappearing into the distance before they returned to his right. "You seem very distracted…" the female voice had returned and echoed. Soon other female voices were joining the first, each cooing and murmuring around him.

"This isn't like you…" "Marriage? You?!" "Don't get yourself tied down…" "It won't last. You're just going to hurt the poor girl…" The candles suddenly snuffed out in one burst and light filled every inch and corner of the room. Looking around Kiba's eyes widened when he saw what was before him. Dozens of women- many Kiba knew from past flings and one night stands, others he didn't remember- all scantily dressed, very attractive and lounging around him.

"Kiba?" a small, soft voice made him look up. A pair of amethyst eyes met his stunned gaze. In the doorway at the very end of the room stood Yukiko. He tried to speak but nothing came out. He couldn't move. All he could do was watch as Yukiko looked at each of the women surrounding him before she began to slowly back away and disappear. Legs heavy like lead, he rose and tried to run after her only to feel like he was still in the same spot, never moving.

Suddenly he was in the doorway of an unknown room. Standing in the middle of the room was Yukiko. Kiba moved to approach but froze when a figure appeared by the young woman's side. Spiky brown hair and a tall, well built body were the only things clear to the Inuzuka. The male's face was blurred and lacking any distinguishable features but Kiba knew who it was. His father. "Marriage wasn't meant for men like us Kiba…" He took a step closer towards Yukiko but stopped when his father's shadowy hand lifted and moved around Yukiko's slender waist. Yukiko blinked and looked up at the older male, seeming to ignore Kiba completely now. "You should end things with this girl before you hurt her and we both know you will eventually." His father spoke seriously and Kiba felt like a child again. He began to move forward again while trying to voice his protests. He wouldn't hurt Yukiko. He couldn't even think about doing something that would cause her any type of pain or heartache.

But no noise came from his lips. Kiba watched with wide eyes as His father disappeared into the darkness and then as Yukiko began to fade and fall down into the depths of some unknown hole. Unable to call out, he tried to run but found himself remaining in one spot and forced to watch Yukiko disappear inch by inch until it was just her hand reaching out for help and the pale wisps of her hair glinting in the last remaining source of light.

Kiba sat up right, looking around in the faint darkness. The sounds of the forest beginning to wake greeted him. The embers of the campfire were glowing faintly, but would be dead soon. He looked over to see Akamaru watching him cautiously from the cover of a tree's shadow. Rubbing his eyes, the Inuzuka heir got to his feet and stretched. Kicking dirt onto the dying embers, to ensure it went out completely, he couldn't get his father's voice out of his head "_end things with this girl before you hurt her"_ It angered Kiba to have a dream about his father. It angered him to think that maybe the apple wasn't so far from the tree. It scared him to consider that it could be true. It scared him to think that he might run out on Yukiko some time after their marriage just like his father had done to his mother. But it wasn't just her that his father turned his back on. It was Hana and he too. After cleaning up his campsite, Kiba placed his bag onto his back and set off for Konoha. Hopefully he'd be back in the village before everyone was up.

As he entered the village, the sun was finally beginning to rise. Yawning, Kiba made a shortcut to the Inuzuka estate by leaping from roof to roof of houses and buildings and cutting through the neighbour's gardens until he was on his own doorstep. Unlocking the door, and entering, he listened carefully. Everything was calm and still. Sensing for the members of his family he felt three presences in the living room, one in his bedroom and two in his mother's room. Glancing in the living room he saw his grandfather Sonzo, fast asleep in his large armchair by the fire and Aomaru sleeping at his feet. The two would end up this way often so it was nothing new to Kiba. What was however was the sight of Yukiko sleeping on the sofa, curled up and a book open and lying face down on her chest, one pale hand draped over the dark green cover. The Inuzuka gave a small half smile and walked towards her, when he caught the title of the book he frowned and looked up to the now sleeping reader. Why on earth would she want to read a book about Konoha's history?

Sighing, he gently pulled the book out from under her hand and placed it on the coffee table, he stooped over to lift Yukiko into his arms but froze when she stirred and her eyes slowly opened and met his. But she didn't tense or jump or even let out a startled scream, instead she gave a lazy smile and lifted a hand to cover her mouth to yawn before saying, "Welcome home." Kiba smiled and straightened up.

"Good to be home. I always forget how sleeping on the wrong type of terrain can mess with my back." He said, settling down on the sofa next to her as she sat up while rubbing the sleep from her eyes and moved her hand to her chest and then lap before she looked down in sleepy confusion for what had previously been on her.

"It's on the coffee table." Kiba said, finally deciding to speak up softly with an amused smirk on his face when Yukiko began to look around her, on the floor and then leaning over the edge of the sofa. He watched her slowly straighten up and look over to the coffee table and spot what she had been searching for, he noticed the tension leave her shoulders as she sat back down. Leaning over, Kiba picked up the large green book and flicked through the pages frowning at the thin paper and tiny writing. "Why are you reading this?" he asked, glancing over at the young woman who met his gaze, as always with an even, calm look.

"Because I have to." she answered making Kiba's frown deepen and turned to look at his sleeping grandfather and then to the book, only now noticing how old yet pristine it was he finally figured out the book's owner. Kiba began to feel anger as he looked to Yukiko once more.

"Did he tell you to read this?! You don't have to if you don't want to-" he began before Yukiko leant over and put her cool hand on his arm, the small action silencing him immediately as he knew enough about Yukiko and her demeanour by now to know that she wouldn't reach out like this unless it was necessary and she had something she had to say.

"No, he didn't force me, I asked to read it." She began. "I meant I have to read it for my own benefit and also because I want to know more about the country and village I'm living in. And there's a lot in the book about your family's history and I want to know as much as I can before the rest of your clan arrive in the next week or so." When she finished, Kiba let out a heavy sigh and shook his head lightly.

Gently he took her hand that had been on his arm and lightly pulled her over to rest against his chest and placed his hand on her head, his fingers lightly playing with her hair as he began to speak "You don't need to study for this you know, my family are coming for a wedding, not an exam. Hell I don't even think half of them know our family history, I know I don't and I'm to be the next head of the clan. So don't force yourself to do these sorts of things okay?" he asked, lightly tapping the book on his lap for emphasis. Yukiko nodded gently and tried to resist falling asleep again, but the feeling of Kiba's fingers in her hair, the comfort she felt from being curled up against him and hearing his strong, steady heartbeat was beginning to be too much her eyes were growing heavier and heavier and quickly sleep took her. When Kiba felt her body slacken and heard her breathing deepen and relax, he glanced down to see her peaceful face but was quickly reminded of how she looked in his dream, letting out a low groan Kiba lay back against the sofa and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"What's wrong?" a voice spoke up from the corner of the room. Snapping his gaze over he locked eyes with his grandfather. "And don't tell me nothing, boy. I know something's bothering you."

Kiba's frown narrowed considerably, all Inuzuka's were stubborn to some degree so to avoid a glaring contest with a more patient and far more stubborn person than himself he decided to speak now. "I had a dream this morning…before I set home." He began, looking down when Yukiko moved in her sleep. "About…him." Kiba finished, refusing to speak his father's name but in the presence of his grandfather he didn't need to. When he looked back, Sonzo had a stony, icy look in his eyes, no one in Kiba's family liked to talk about the coward that ran out on the family that welcomed him so warmly in the beginning.

"What about him? What happened in your dream?" Sonzo asked in a harsh, restrained tone.

"He told me to end things, to not marry her." The young male replied softly, looking down at the sleeping female. "Said I'd hurt her eventually."

"You're nothing like him Kiba, don't let your mind trick you into thinking that. Let me ask you this, are you ever going to consciously hurt that girl in any way?"

"No, of course I won't."

"Then that's all you need to prove you aren't anything like that useless former son in-law of mine." Sonzo stated as he pushed himself to his feet. "If you're going to worry about something, you should worry about that girl over these coming days."

Kiba looked from Yukiko to his grandfather in confusion. "Why?!"

"Because you fool, there's going to be well over one hundred Inuzukas and their dogs prowling around and we both know how our family reunions go." And with that, Sonzo left his panic stricken grandson stare in horror as he thought of the coming storm.

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><p>Sure enough a day later when Kiba was in the middle of a training session with his genin students both he and Akamaru turned their heads in the direction of the Konoha Gates at the sound of distant howling and cheering getting louder. Muttering a curse under his breath he dismissed the training and set off for the Inuzuka estate, hoping that he'd make it there first. With Akamaru beside him, the two sped through the village, leaping from roof to roof and finally breaking through the trees of the estate, Kiba came to a sudden stop at the front door and looked to the entrance of the estate grounds as multiple figures rushed forward.<p>

"Yo, Kiba!" a voice boomed out excitedly when his presence was noticed. The future alpha couldn't help but grin at the voice. His cousin Takeo had been one of his best friends when he was little but now he didn't see him as much as he moved to the very north of the Fire Country when he was old enough. When the two were close, they clapped hands and pulled eachother into a tight hug. Once they broke apart Takeo grinned wider.

"Didn't think I'd be here for your wedding of all things." He laughed and looked around curiously as more Inuzukas and their families approached. "So where is she?" Kiba blinked and looked back to the house, he couldn't sense Yukiko at all. 'Where was she' was now the question weighing heavily in his mind. He lightly sniffed the air and could only catch her scent faintly mixed with his mother's so he relaxed.

"By the smell of things she's gone out somewhere with Ma…" Kiba shrugged, looking to the group who frowned in disappointment and dispersed, some going towards the kennels, others heading towards the guest buildings of the estate and others heading towards the street and towards the town. Takeo however remained to speak with his younger cousin, on his way into the village he'd caught the scent of their grandfather and that made him curious.

"So what's our always cheerful grandfather got to say about your bride to be?" Takeo asked, expecting Kiba to begin ranting about the old man but before kiba could answer a voice came from behind them.

"Maybe you should ask the cheerful grandfather himself, Takeo." The older cousin tensed and turned to see Sonzo, Yukiko and Aomaru walking towards them. Takeo let out a nervous laugh before he looked to the pale young woman and stared her up and down.

"I would dear Grandfather but seeing the beauty before me now, I can tell you find her suitable for our dear Kiba in every way." Takeo stated with another nervous laugh before bowing in greeting to both his grandfather and Yukiko. "A pleasure to meet you at last I'm Takeo, Kiba's older but not wiser cousin."

Yukiko regarded him silently and returned the bow after he rose. "The pleasure's mine, you can call me Yukiko." As she rose, Kiba noticed a change in her scent, she had been in close contact with many different people but most had the same type of scent; Inuzuka's.

"How many have arrived so far?" he asked, looking to Sonzo.

"Since the early hours of this morning…about fifty that I've seen. Takeo, how many arrived with you?"

"About twenty-five of us all seemed to run into eachother about twelve miles from the Gates and I could sense a large group from the east but they were still quite a ways away so they should be arriving in the next couple of hours."

"And more should be arriving tonight and the remaining few from the south should make it in time for the proper gathering and celebration tomorrow evening." Kiba added.

During the time that the three males were talking Yukiko remained silent and looked around the estate that had become far livelier, if that was even possible. She could hear laughter coming from the guest residences that were the furthest away and it was still clear. She could only wonder how loud it would be tomorrow evening when everyone was gathered and enjoying eachother's company, catching up and celebrating a family reunion and the upcoming marriage of herself and Kiba and Kiba becoming the next head of the clan. She was suddenly brought out of her thoughts when something bumped into her leg. Turning she looked down to see a young boy no older than four sitting on the grass and looking up at her with large eyes and a trembling lower lip. Crouching down to his level, Yukiko held out her hands in an open invitation, she wasn't going to touch the child if he didn't want contact with a perfect stranger. Sniffing the little boy rubbed his eyes and held out his arms. Yukiko allowed herself a small smile and lifted the little boy into the air. The child wrapped his arms around Yukiko's neck and mumbled something low that not even Kiba or the other two males could hear for when the child appeared, they all stopped their conversation to watch Yukiko.

The young woman listened to the child's low voice and nodded. "Okay, we'll go do that. But first we'll say goodbye here." She said before bowing to the men with the child in her arms and turned in the direction of the main house. Frowning, Kiba watched her leave and then looked to his cousin and grandfather.

"Whose child was that?"

"Your second cousin's, niece's boy. They arrived late last night while you were asleep." Sonzo answered. "They had been sleeping off the journey all morning. You can go inside if you wish Kiba, we aren't stopping you." The elder stated with a small smirk. Takeo snickered.

"Aww is little Kiba lost without his wife already?"

"Shut up Takeo or you'll be spending your entire visit out in the kennels with the newborn pups." Kiba snapped before heading inside the house with Akamaru by his side. Naturally he followed Yukiko's scent to their bedroom and stopped at the doorway and looked in to see the young child lightly stroking Amaya on the bed while Yukiko was crouched on the floor, silently she looked over and met Kiba's gaze.

"Everything okay?" she asked as he entered.

"Yeah, was just wondering where you went."

"Ryo wanted to pet Amaya but since she was my dog, his mother wanted him to get permission first." Yukiko explained before looking at the clock. "Did something happen at training?"

Kiba frowned at her question. "No, why?" he asked as he sat down at the top of the bed while Akamaru leapt up beside him.

"You're back earlier than usual, I was just wondering." He listened to the answer before a woman's voice came from another room of the house, calling for Ryo. The little boy looked up and lightly stroked Amaya one last time before Yukiko helped him down from the bed and set him lightly on the floor.

"Thank you Yukiko-san!" he beamed happily before running out the door to answer his mother's call. With the child gone, Amaya lifted her head and stretched out contently and ready for a midday nap.

"Did something happen with you?" Kiba spoke up, looking at his fiancée evenly as she returned his gaze. "From the sounds of things you've met quite a few Inuzukas already."

"Only briefly while your mother and I were out in the Village and then she was called to the Hokage's Office and I ran into your grandfather and we walked home together. But no, nothing happened to me. Why do you ask?" Yukiko said as she rose and stood by the bed. Kiba frowned and gestured for her to come closer, which she did silently, he took her wrist and lightly pulled her down until she was knelt down on the bed in front of him. Softly he placed his hand under her chin and the other at the back of her head and pulled her closer, examining her face seriously.

"Something seems off with you, I don't know what it is but something's wrong." He finally said letting his hand drop from her head to her lower back.

He kept his dark brown eyes locked with her amethyst ones intensely until she finally opened her lips and spoke.

"I miss them." She whispered softly. "It's just seeing all these new faces of this family I'm marrying in to and I childishly wish that my father and brother and sister could be a part of this too." Kiba listened to her words and closed his eyes before pulling her closed, wrapping his arms around her, not sure what he could do or say to make it better. When he felt Yukiko lower her head and lay it against his chest he sighed.

"I'm sorry that they aren't here with you but once we marry we'll go and see them, I promised you that remember?" He felt Yukiko nod against him and wrap her arms around his chest tightly.

"Thank you." She muttered softly before pulling back and offering him a soft, genuine smile. Grinning, Kiba kissed her cheek and lightly tapped her leg.

"Come on, we should probably be seen out and about otherwise they're going to think I'm doing unspeakable things to you in here." He joked, trying to fight the images that came with that statement from entering his mind but failed horribly on that front as the pair left the room with their dogs closely following behind.

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><p>Kiba continually muttered curses and grumbles under his breath. In all senses of the word he was uncomfortable. He knew these types of family gatherings required him and every member to wear robes, regardless of how rowdy and unsophisticated the evening was going to be. He felt wrong without his weapons holster, headband and regular clothes. In the dark blue robe he felt stiff and grouchy and for a moment realised that was probably why his grandfather's personality was the way it was, it wasn't him it was his robes. When he muttered another curse, his mother appeared in the doorway with a scowl and her black and gold kimono already on.<p>

"Stop your whining Kiba, we all have to wear this type of formal stuff. At least at your wedding this type of formal wear is optional." She stated, stepping up to fix her son's robe so they sat better on him. "Where's Yukiko?" Tsume asked looking around the room and into the bathroom with a frown.

"She got ready in Hana's room and then some of the children got her attention." Kuromaro stated from the doorway with a yawn.

"Go check on her for me, please Kuromaru." Tsume requested of her canine partner who wordlessly obeyed. When he was gone and it was just the two of them, Tsume looked to Kiba silently, seeming to choose her words carefully.

"Your grandfather told me about that dream of yours." She began in a surprisingly soft tone. "Has it only happened the once or have there been other dreams like that?"

Kiba sighed and looked at his mother. "Not persistently, no. It's just small whispers and brief things. It's just my mind having small panics about married life and becoming…him I guess but I keep telling myself that I won't be anything like that bastard."

"I hate to say it but he wasn't all that bad. Up until the point he ran out on us that is. But believe us when we tell you this Kiba, you're a better man than him and will be a far better husband to Yukiko than he was to me." She smiled, lightly touching his face before heading to the door. "Come on, let's get out there before everyone gets too drunk and we miss out on the fun." Tsume grinned making Kiba laugh and join her outside where the rest of the family was gathering.

Tables and chairs with paper lanterns hung above them to give light when darkness would eventually fall. A large feast of food and a variety of drink were spread out so there would be something for everyone. All of the dogs were out and running around, some play fighting with their masters and others were playing with each other and the Inuzukas were no better than the dogs. Already there were fighting matches and arguments about events from previous reunions. However this reunion was different this time because when Kiba stepped out onto the garden he could hear music being played in the direction of the kennels.

"Got yourself a good wife there Kiba…" a voice sang beside him, the future alpha looked to see Takeo's older sister, Emi standing beside him with a grin although what caught his attention was her rounded stomach.

"Didn't you just have a kid, Emi?" Kiba teased before asking. "Speaking of, where is Yukiko?"

"Midori is coming four Kiba and your chosen bride is entertaining most of the children with her violin, all the mothers are calling her a blessing. Thanks to her the kids have been more behaved than the adults and its let us prepare for this evening and catch up with everyone else." Emi explained before grinning coyly. "Guess this means a large litter won't be any trouble for you two... well mentally anyway."

"We aren't even married yet, Emi, I think the two of us are just trying to focus on getting through tonight and the wedding first before anything else."

"Doesn't mean you haven't at least thought about kids though, right?" his cousin persisted making him groan in annoyance, if she wasn't pregnant he might have punched her arm like he usually did but restrained himself.

"I've seen her a couple of times with children and it has made me think briefly of ours, okay. Are you happy now?" he asked his cousin who grinned.

"Briefly? Why are you so scared to think about those types of things Kiba? Are you worried you might enjoy married life and being a dad?" Emi asked with a frown that lessened when she looked down at her stomach and then with a sigh looked back up to her cousin. "I just think if you go and see her now, you might think a whole lot more on the subject. You are going to be alpha once you're married remember and heirs are expected." Emi smiled before walking away to speak with another family member.

Feeling more uncomfortable for different reasons, Kiba sighed and decided to seek out Yukiko, knowing how loud and difficult and sometimes rough the children of the clan could be when they were all together. Following the sound of the violin, Kiba turned the corner to see kneeling on the ground, playing her new violin while the children danced, played and listened to the song. Some of the older children that had been fighting like the adults caught sight of their elder and ran over to him excitedly.

"Kiba-san come see my new technique I've been working on! It'll beat everyone when I enter the Chunin exams this year!" a girl beamed while tugging lightly on his sleeve but soon more began to pull and shout at him, eager for his attention, his advice and for him to join in their games. When he heard Yukiko play the final note of her song, he glanced over to see her gently place the instrument on the grass beside her and looked to the small group of children that had been dancing and were now by her side excitedly talking to her. Most of them were girls and seemed to have a scent of nervousness around her while they talked, one in particular continually tugged at her own long dark locks as she looked to the older woman in front of her.

Yukiko smiled at the young girl and reached up, swiftly and silently unpinning her own hair from the intricate and elegant hold and let it all spill free and fall down her back covered in an emerald green silk kimono that Kiba hadn't seen before. The young girl gasped excitedly and spun to kneel down with her back to Yukiko who immediately began to work and style her hair just as she had asked her to. Seeing that she was more than capable of being around the children, Kiba turned his attention to the group that was swarming him and play fought with them, letting them tackle him to the ground all the while Yukiko worked on one Inuzuka girl's hair. As she worked she looked to the others in front of her and answered the many questions they had to ask mostly they were questions about herself and her country but one made her and Kiba halt in their activities. "Are you in love with Kiba-san?" Wide brown eyes fell immediately to Yukiko's face and as usual her face was its usual calm mask but she never got her chance to answer.

"Of course she loves him! They're getting married aren't they?" a child that was on top of Kiba spoke up causing one after the other to add their thoughts to the discussion at hand.

"Plus Yukiko-san's really really pretty!"

"What's that got to do with it?"

"Everything, idiot! If she's really really pretty then that means Kiba-san loves her and that's why they're getting married."

"But Yukiko-san's a princess too and in the stories they only marry knights and princes who love them at first sight and since she and Kiba-san are getting married that proves they are in love!" Thankfully after a few more minutes of debating, the children got hungry and rushed off to get food leaving the couple alone, both of them silently processing the debate they had just heard.

Clearing his throat, Kiba looked at Yukiko. "Are you hungry?" he asked, deciding it best to avoid the previous topic altogether. He watched Yukiko nod and rise with her violin.

"I'll just leave this back inside just in case I forget later on." She told him as he got to his feet, Kiba offered her a smile and nod and headed back in the direction of the rest of his family and food and within minutes his attention was taken by more relatives he'd not yet spoken to since their arrival.

"So have all the other clans arrived in time? It's not long until the big day." One of the elders from the south asked.

"Yes I believe the last noble family to arrive was from Lightning Country." Kiba answered before remembering about Yukiko and looked around until he spotted her with Takeo and a few other males in the family.

"The Hokage picked a good one for you, I wish it were me…just don't tell my wife that." The old man laughed hoarsely only for a sandal to hit him upside the head and the elder's wife storming towards them. And so the evening continued well in to the night until all the food and drink was gone and everyone was too tired to talk let alone fight.

Yawning loudly Kiba shuffled down the corridor towards his and Yukiko's room only to stop when he spotted her leave their room, when she spotted him she pressed her lips together. "We have a slight problem…" she told him softly before pushing the door open to show what she was talking about. Takeo, the dogs and some of the Inuzuka children lay sprawled out and sleeping deeply on the bed.

"How did that even happen?" Kiba asked tiredly while running a hand through his hair.

"The children all just seem to have picked the closest rooms to sleep in when they got tired and didn't want to walk all the way to guest residences. As for Takeo I think he just wanted to annoy you because you threatened him with sleeping in the kennels." Yukiko answered before covering her mouth to yawn.

"Bastard is too sensitive…" Kiba muttered before sighing, too tired to get angry at his older cousin he threw his arm around Yukiko and led her down the hall in search of an empty room that they could sleep in and finally found a room and when he turned on the light and closed the door he realised it was one he hadn't been in in years; his old bedroom.

"Here." Yukiko yawned, pulling out dark fabric from the inside of her kimono sleeve and handed it over to him. Blinking through the tired haze, Kiba looked down to see she'd handed over a pair of pyjama bottoms.

"When did you get these?" he asked as he pulled them on and then removed his robes.

"When I was in our room, I didn't think you'd want to sleep in your robe all night." She explained while unravelling the sash of her kimono and let the layers slip off her body and on to the floor before pulling her own nightgown on but frowned when it felt different, looking down a gasp escaped her lips.

When he saw she was undressing, Kiba had turned his head to give her privacy but her gasp made him turn to see what was wrong and blinked a few times to see that in the dark she hadn't grabbed her usual sleepwear but instead had accidentally grabbed one of his t-shirts and smirked at how good it looked on her. Unfortunately his fiancée failed to see that as she was grabbing her kimono off the floor to put on instead, too tired to tell her to stop Kiba stepped up and lifted her swiftly into his arms so suddenly she forgot herself and yelped out his name while dropping the only garment that would cover her. The Inuzuka grinned as he felt a sudden burst of energy and dumped Yukiko unceremoniously onto the bed, grinning when she bounced and her hair fell over her face. The grin broadened when Yukiko pushed her long locks away and frowned up at him, cheeks slightly flushed and eyes minutely narrowed just enough that he could see it.

"What's wrong with what you're wearing?" he asked leaning in to read her face carefully "I think it suits you very well." He told her, grinning when he spotted her flushed cheeks deepen in colour and frown lessen as her eyes momentarily flickered away from his face and back again.

"Thank you for saying so but I still don't think I should wear it." She stated while sitting up, pulling the bottom of the shirt down to cover her legs almost entirely but it didn't work. Kiba sat down on the bed facing his fiancée and gave her a searching look.

"And why not."

"Because of what people would say…" she answered "especially so close to the wedding." She added after she noted the confused expression on the Inuzuka's face.

Kiba sat there staring at the woman, looked at what she was wearing and then it clicked with him and unintentionally he howled with laughter. "You think they'd think we had sex?! That's what you're worried about?" he practically shouted in amusement. Yukiko however looked like a startled rabbit at the outburst and lunged clamping her hands over his mouth through some feeble attempt to force his words back in. Yukiko stared at Kiba helplessly while feeling his muted laughter tremor against her skin her mind a flurry of things she couldn't and wouldn't say out loud. How could he laugh at that situation so freely? Did he not remember her first meeting with his family's Elders? Their accusations?! She couldn't afford to let herself falter on anything otherwise they would see her as an unfit wife and then what would happen? Didn't he understand that? She suddenly felt a change in him and looked to see he'd stopped laughing and was looking at her with such an intense look that it made her feel nervous in a strangely excited way, leaving her mouth slightly dry and heart beating a little quicker. Swiftly she was pulled forward and on to his lap, one strong hand holding the back of her head while the other softly pushed her hands away from his mouth so he could let out a long sigh before eventually speaking.

"You need to stop this, you really do." He whispered. "I told you to not worry about my family and what they thought. But if you need to know, they approve of you, why don't you see that yet? You could walk around naked and they wouldn't care, in fact some would applaud your guts for doing it but that's not the point." He ranted before letting out another shaky breath and reached up to slowly touch her hair. "The Yukiko that listened to the children and spent time with them, that undid what was no doubt a good twenty minutes of preparation to make a little girl feel pretty. The one that treats everyone with respect, that managed to become friends with my grandfather of all people in what…a day? And has also never had to yell or scream to be heard in a family like mine. That's what they take note of, not what you're wearing and definitely not if you've had sex with your fiancé yet or not before the wedding. Understand?" he asked, when she nodded he let out a tired groan and lay his forehead against hers.

"You can be exhausting sometimes you know that?"

Yukiko sat there in stunned silence, the heat of Kiba's body gently radiated into her and began to ease her and calm the tension that had been weighing on her for the past couple of weeks, tension caused by her mind and overthinking how the entirety of the Inuzuka clan would take to her and if they would truly accept her; not just as Kiba's bride but as part of the family. Her shoulders relaxed and she lifted her hand to lay it over his that stayed on the back of her head.

"I'll try to stop being exhausting but we should probably get to sleep now or we'll be even more exhausted in the morning." She told him, unable to hold back the small smile that came when Kiba laughed and pulled back to place a kiss on her lips before he released her so they could both climb into the bed and allowed sleep to quickly take them.

* * *

><p>"Kiba-san….pssst Kiba-san! Wake up!" A sudden jab to his stomach along with a hushed "wake up already!" made Kiba's eyes snap open to see four Inuzuka children frowning at him. "I don't think you're ready to be Head of the clan yet, your skills aren't good enough." One boy told him critically with a frown as he folded his arms across his chest tightly. Frowning, Kiba let out a long yawn while scratching his head and chest.<p>

"Oh yeah, kid? And why's that?" he asked as he stretched out and began to drift asleep again.

"Because Yukiko-san was stolen over an hour ago and you didn't even notice." The words barely registered with Kiba as he nodded and rolled over on the bed but as they really sunk in he sat upright in the bed and looked at the children.

"Say that again! What happened? Where is she?" he demanded.

"Relax, lover-boy." A deeper voice laughed from the doorway. Kiba looked over to see Takeo leaning against the wooden frame grinning widely. "A group of girls came by this morning and 'stole' your little princess away to get her ready for tonight." The grin widened when the future Head of the clan blinked at him, not understanding the situation at all. "You do remember what's happening tonight don't you?" he asked and Kiba slowly shook his head while desperately trying to search his brain for anything important happening that night. Takeo sighed and motioned for the children to leave the room as he moved to the bed where his cousin sat. Once the door closed Takeo put his hand on his cousin's shoulder and grinned with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Tonight is the night where you and that future bride of yours go out and really say goodbye to your single lives." Kiba's eyes widened. He'd completely forgotten, preparing for the Clan reunion had pushed all other events to the back of his mind. Now that he understood he could only whisper.

"Oh no!"

Takeo let out a barking laugh. "Oh yes little cousin, tonight's the bachelor and bachelorette parties and with all us Inuzuka men in town you can be sure you won't be able to stand until your wedding…if you're lucky that is."

* * *

><p>Yukiko couldn't calm her rapidly beating heart as she stood frozen in front of the mirror, her cheeks the brightest red she'd seen them get in her lifetime and her hands wouldn't stop shaking. There was no way she could go out like this, surely the dress wasn't that short when she'd tried it on in the store. Slowly she turned and tried tugging the soft, clingy fabric down in an attempt to cover more of what remained of her exposed thighs. She knew it wasn't short to a lot of people but to her it was strange to wear something that clung to her this way and showed off every line of her body. And her chest, she didn't want to think about it, the neckline was low to her too. Groaning she pressed her head against the glass wondering why she agreed to letting Ino and the others buy her this outfit in the first place and why she was going trough with this party also. She could understand Kiba, naturally he had led a carefree life and experienced having girlfriends and such but she didn't. She'd lived a life of an engaged woman, a woman waiting to be married and waiting for her husband to be picked for her so how could she celebrate the ending of a lifestyle she'd never had?<p>

"You look great!" Yukiko whipped around to see Sakura rushing towards her and hugging her tightly. "Don't worry about tonight okay? Just relax and have fun and we'll take good care of you okay?" the pink haired woman smiled warmly and Yukiko could only manage a tiny tilt of her lips and nod. She trusted these girls and was glad she had them to look out for her and wouldn't judge her actions as harshly as an Inuzuka member might, regardless of what Kiba told her she still worried of their opinion on anything she would say or do.

"So where are we going exactly?" she asked, deciding to focus on the night at hand for now. The jade eyes of the kunoichi lit up in excitement at the question.

"Yukiko you're going to love it! It's this new club called 'Masquerade' everyone where's a mask which is so great, from personal experience it's the best thing for being yourself and not having to worry about people judging you because they won't know who you are."

Now that did sound good and eased her a bit but a new problem arose with that. "But if no one knows who you are how are we going to recognise who each other is tonight? What if we get separated?" Surprisingly Sakura didn't seem so bothered but such instances and shrugged with a smile.

"Don't' worry when you arrive as part of a group they give you masks in the same colour. We've got everything organised so don't worry." She grinned, lightly tapping

Yukiko's nose before she led her out of the house and towards Masquerade.

* * *

><p>How long had it been since he had a proper night out at a club? Kiba truly couldn't remember, it was definitely before he was engaged but truth be told he missed it and had a feeling this would most likely be his last time in a place like this so he made sure to enjoy himself which wasn't hard to do. The music was good, the company of his family and friends was entertaining and with some beer Kiba found himself relaxing completely and began to thoroughly enjoy the night's activities but at the back of his mind wondered how Yukiko was coping on her side of things and just hoped the girls hadn't arranged anything too extreme for her.<p>

Suddenly a hand slapped him sharply on the back, whirling around Kiba was met with a wide grin of a man just a little older than him with a lightly tanned face with dark purple markings across his nose and down his cheeks.

"Kankuro!" Kiba shouted with a grin and threw his free arm around the Sand ninja. "Didn't think you were coming until the day before the wedding." He added making the puppetmaster laugh.

"I originally wasn't meant to be coming until then but Gaara received a two page begging note from Naruto that I come as soon as possible for an important mission 'to have fun' and he sent me, knowing more would come unless your Hokage got his way and here I am." He laughed before lowering his mask back into place. "Though to be honest I never thought I'd be at your bachelor party of all things but given the fact it's arranged I bet you had no choice."

Kiba smiled and walked with Kankuro to the bar so the newcomer could get a drink. "No one was more surprised than I was when I was told I was going to marry, believe me." He stated with a grin as he remembered breaking Naruto's desk in anger.

"I understand, I was a little unsure myself when Gaara told me he was making a bid for me to marry her…" Kankuro paused to raise his beer to his lips only to see the Inuzuka whip his head around to stare at him in shock.

"Gaara wanted you to marry Yukiko?!" he demanded, he knew the Kazekage had 'put a bid in' for Yukiko's hand but never knew who it was that he intended her to marry had the proposal been accepted.

"Well yeah, Gaara wanted the best possible union and offered me. Said having a wife would most likely be the best thing to happen to me. But I gotta tell you, I'm glad you got her instead." He replied with a grin before taking another long sip as he turned to lean against the bar and stared at people dancing, focussed on all the women. "Because to be honest I am not ready to give up the single life just yet."

It wasn't until four in the morning that Kiba, Kankuro and the other Inuzukas stumbled back to the estate most trying to remember which way their rooms were. Kiba was grateful he wasn't as drunk as his relatives as he half carried Kankuro to the main estate entrance, listening to the puppetmaster sing some Wind Country song, completely out of tune and quite loudly. Finally through the door, he left Kankuro in the living room, deciding the sofa was the best place for him to sleep off the alcohol and suffer his inevitable hangover in the morning. Shuffling into his own room he was surprised to find the Yukiko wasn't there but a muffled thud from the shared bathroom made him slowly turn as the door opened and Yukiko slumped against the doorframe, pushing her hair from her face so met Kiba's gaze and broke out into a grin. "It's Kiba!" she cheered in a whisper before laughing and holding out her hand to him. Chuckling at his drunken fiancée, Kiba obliged and held out his arm, taking Yukiko's hand in his own and as she walked towards him he looked over her appreciatively especially the dark blue dress she was wearing.

He looked down at Yukiko when she finally stood in front of him and placed her free hand on his chest and leaned forward and whispered in his ear "Kiss me." Kiba froze at her words and looked at her in surprise but quickly released her hand so he could place his hand on the small of her back and pull her forward into the kiss she wanted from him. Yukiko's hand fisted into his shirt while her newly released hand tightly locked into his hair and tugged him closer as she let out a low moan into the kiss that she deepened. Kiba could taste the alcohol on the young woman's breath and though drunk was aware that Yukiko was no doubt not in full control of her actions and knew he should put her to bed to sleep off all the alcohol but the feel of her body pressed against him and her soft lips moving with his was more intoxicating than anything he'd had to drink all evening.

Keeping his hold on her Kiba turned her and moved to the bed and slowly lowered Yukiko down as he knelt over her and finally he pulled back, looking down at the hazy eyed, breathless woman and sighed as he stood up and pulled the bed covers down from under Yukiko and draped them over her. He met her confused, drunk gaze and leant down to lightly kiss her forehead. "You need to sleep now otherwise it's going to be a whole lot worse in the morning." He told her softly before getting up to change for bed and once he was in bed he glanced over to see Yukiko had already fallen asleep.

* * *

><p>Her head was pounding, why did it have to hurt so much and why was everything so loud? The sound of the bedroom door opening and closing made her flinch and curl up under the covers, only to peak out when a familiar chuckle sounded.<p>

"How's the hangover?" the Inuzuka male asked with a grin as he sat on the bed next to her. Though his only response was a glare and tiny groan as the action caused her head to throb again.

"Why aren't you like this?" she whined at the unfairness of the situation.

"Trust me, I've had my share of hangovers but I probably didn't drink as much as you most likely did if Ino had anything to say about it."

His words sent a hazy image of the blonde woman waving a bright green bottle and she let out another moan.

Kiba knew he shouldn't find it funny but he couldn't help it, she was suffering so much that the composed mask she always wore was completely gone and was finally getting to act like a normal young woman who had had too much to drink the night before. "Here take this." He told her, lifting up a glass of water and two painkillers into her line of vision when a narrowed purple eye appeared again from under the covers.

As slowly and carefully as she could, Yukiko began to sit up, wincing at the slightest movement that made her head and body ache, the pain made her remember falling over a number of times during the night and just prayed she wasn't bruised and if she was it would be in places that couldn't be seen, the wedding was in two days afterall. Thanking Kiba she took the glass and pills, throwing them back and drained the water before setting the glass down on the bedside table and lay against Kiba who smiled and wrapped his arm around her and lightly played with her hair.

"I had a really strange dream…" she mumbled against him. The Inuzuka raised an eyebrow, a curious glint in his eyes.

"What was it about?" he asked in genuine interest Yukiko never talked about dreams she had.

"You…" she began. "and me. I dreamt that I made you kiss me, practically told you to." Yukiko told him, lightly touching her lips as she recalled the dream. "It felt so real."

Kiba grinned at her and laughed. "And how was it?" he asked, knowing perfectly well how the kiss was.

"Very good…but it ended too soon. I can't remember what happened next after that though."

"Don't worry, once we're married you'll get to experience what happens after that." He told her casually, looking down to see Yukiko staring at him with wide eyes and a growing blush. Loving the sight, Kiba leant down to whisper in her ear. "and that kiss was very real, not a dream." And if it were possible Yukiko blushed an even deeper shade of red only to get a barking laugh from the man against her.


	10. Married and Ignorant Bliss

**Married and Ignorant Bliss**

Yukiko looked around the room silently as one of the Inuzuka women did her hair, Sakura and Ino were busy taking pictures and their usual energetic selves. Tenten was using her whole body as a blockade against the door while yelling at Lee that he wasn't allowed in the room no matter how 'overcome by youth' he was. She felt someone touch her shoulder and she looked to see Hinata smiling and lifting her supply of makeup.

"Are you okay, Yukiko?" she asked softly. The young woman nodded and gave a tiny smile. Her hands were clamped together on her lap and she was trying to stop her legs from shaking. This was a day she was practically raised for so why was she so nervous about it now?

Kiba stared in the mirror, this was it; his wedding day. Swallowing hard he looked himself over feeling extremely uncomfortable about being dressed in a suit and tie and not being able to undo a couple of buttons. There had been a whole debate with the family over what to wear. Some wanted him and Yukiko to wear traditional robes, which Kiba disliked doing for EVERY family occasion and then there was suggesting more modern clothing for the wedding and traditional robes for the Alpha ceremony which would happen a few weeks after the wedding. From the opposite end of the estate he could hear Tenten and Lee yelling and chuckled, glad for the distraction. Sighing, he sat down on the bed and lay back, staring at the ceiling. It was only late morning and he was already exhausted from the day's activities. He let his gaze fall over to Yukiko's place on the bed and frowned, he had missed sleeping next to her last night and would have rathered she been there but 'traditions are traditions for a reason' Hana had explained as she whisked Yukiko to her room.

"Kiba?" he heard his mother's voice and sat up a bit to see her enter, surprised and shocked at how much a dress could change someone. Out of her typical ninja clothes, Tsume Inuzuka was in a sleek black dress that wasn't too plain and not too glamorous, something that suited her personality and body well. Kiba wouldn't have recognised her straight away if she hadn't spoken before entering.

"Trying to upstage the bride, ma?" he asked with a wide grin that his mother returned.

"Try being the word." She laughed as she sat down on the edge of the bed. "But no, she'll be the one all eyes are on today, no doubt about it." Kiba grinned, feeling a little smug about his future bride being the centre of attention, knowing that she might not feel so happy about it though.

"Shouldn't you be with her?" Kiba asked, watching Tsume shrug.

"I'm mother of the groom, besides that many people are bustling about her I decided I'd come bustle about you and remind you that you'll have to go outside soon and start greeting the guests when they arrive. Y'know, kiss the ass of all the Nobles and different clans that have journeyed so far for this."

The male let out a groan and lay back down, great, he wanted a distraction and he sure as hell got one. Just one he didn't want. He reached up to loosen his tie only for his hand to be quickly and painfully hit by his mother.

"Don't even think about it. You can do that after you're married and only after."

For a while the whole meet and greet thing helped distract Kiba and pass the countdown to the ceremony. That was until a familiar scent caught his attention and it was one he didn't approve of being here. Turning around he spotted Benjirou Uematsu standing across the large, decorated lawn and when the former client met his gaze, the stuck up asshole had the nerve to smirk. Letting a growl build up in his throat he strode forward until he was in front of the man.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a tight, restrained voice. Knowing he was in the safety of witnesses, Uematsu let his smirk grow wider.

"Well Inuzuka-san if you of all people have forgotten what today is, then you're going to be surprised." He said with a small chuckle. Kiba ground his teeth together and oh so wished he could punch the man in the face but that would result in blood and for now he'd have to resist.

"I know why I'm here, I just don't recall sending you of all an invitation…" he forced the words out with a fake smile, wondering how in the hell Yukiko could keep a neutral mask and even tone for her whole life. "After all why would I let the cowardly little man who filed a complaint about me and got me a month off missions higher than 'B' into my home?" he asked before returning the sneering chuckle Benjirou had first given him. He could see fear flicker in the man's eyes but he soon composed himself when it was clear Kiba wasn't going to touch him, at least not yet.

Clearing his throat he explained, "I'm personal advisor to Lord Kusakabe and he wished I attend with him." He stated before frowning at the Inuzuka. "I would have much rathered our paths to not cross again after that time but this can't be helped. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to speak to more pleasant people." He said before walking off, leaving Kiba both pissed off and glad for his departure. Thankfully Kankruo, Gaara and Temari arrived and provided better company until it was time for the guests to take their seats and for Kiba to stand at the front.

He wasn't surprised to see Sonzo standing with him as a former alpha he'd be preforming the ceremony, something he was glad of, he wasn't sure how his mother would do it, she was as hot blooded as he was and would most likely not have been as serious about the whole thing that he knew his grandfather would be. When Sonzo looked to him he let a tiny hint of a smile touch his lips.

"Ready, pup?" he asked making Kiba let out a small, shaky laugh.

"Doesn't matter much if I am or not does it? But I'm as ready as I'll ever be…" he trailed off just as the music started. Taking a deep breath he half turned and watched as Hana, Ino, Sakura, Tenten and finally Hinata walked down the aisle and then there was Yukiko and Kiba felt like all air had been slammed out of his lungs as he watched his bride walk towards him.

Her pale cheeks were dusted with a pale pink and her lips painted a faint but striking red while her sparkling amethyst eyes were framed in black while her hair was curled and twisted, allowing one long spiral of soft, pale blonde hair to seemingly fall down her back. And the dress was strapless, cream satin framed along the top and sides in off gold lace, shimmering and heightening her already exotic beauty. His mother was right, as usual; today all eyes were to be on Yukiko and only her.

The ceremony itself went ahead smoothly and like any other wedding, they said the right things at the right times, did all they needed to and before either knew it, it was almost over and then came the marking. Slowly they turned to properly face eachother and Kiba stared into Yukiko's eyes, shocked to see there was no fear in those bright eyes, only trust. Taking a steady hold on her waist and upper arm he leant in and bit into her pale skin, feeling her tense slightly but she made no noise or move to get away. She stood perfectly still as though nothing had happened. Kiba closed his eyes and let some of his chakra enter the mark before he pulled back, softly kissing the already bruising area and straightening.

"With the mark now on your mate, I now pronounce the both of you husband and wife and you may now kiss the bride." Sonzo declared as the guests applauded and his rowdy family and friends broke out into cheers and howls, letting Kiba wrap his arm around his wife's waist and pull her close before his lips captured hers, smiling into the kiss when she responded almost instantly. When they parted, Kiba grinned down at Yukiko who was still leaning forward and had a slightly dazed expression.

"Well aren't you eager?" he teased before laughing when she blinked and blushed a deep crimson, quickly looking away.

"Congrats man!" Naruto crowed in his ear suddenly, throwing his arms around the couple. Kiba looked at the man who was supposed to be the leader of their village and grinned as the rest of their group approached to offer hugs and congratulations. Sonzo managed to eventually steer Yukiko away from the group to speak to her while Kiba talked with Shino, Naruto and the others.

"You did very well, child you should be proud of yourself." He told her, his gaze flickering to the mark on her skin before looking back to her face.

"Thank you Sonzo." She told him with a small smile. "It means a lot to hear you say that." Sonzo returned the smile only to look past the young woman and scowl when he spotted someone approaching.

"I hoped he wouldn't have been able to come to this…that man always manages to convince me to drink with him and it never ends well." He muttered before quickly disappearing into the crowd leaving Yukiko on her own and slightly confused but it was a matter of seconds before someone else caught her attention and came to speak with her.

The day passed by in a blur of drinking, laughing, eating and soon it was time for the first dance, which Kiba felt uneasy about. Dancing at a club was one thing but just he and Yukiko dancing to slow, formal music? That wasn't his thing but he took her hand and placed the other on her waist and moved in time to the music with her, finding it easier than he thought. Her movements were fluid and smooth and soon other couples joined when invited which made things easier and the second song had a quicker pace, which he was happier to dance to. However his eyes narrowed and grip tightened slightly when Benjirou Uematsu appeared through the crowd and lightly tapped Yukiko on the shoulder.

"May I interrupt this dance?" he asked with a voice that in Kiba's opinion was as smooth as gravel. Yukiko looked from the man to Kiba and nodded, accepting the invitation. Silently, Kiba handed his wife over to the man and left to have a strong drink.

He sat at one of the empty tables, staring at the dark liquid in his glass "What's wrong?" he looked up to see Tsume approach, one of his cousin's infant children in her arms. He waited for his mother to sit next to him before speaking.

"That dick is here, the one that filed the complaint against me." He muttered.

"And?"

"And he shouldn't be here but since there are witnesses and he works for one of the guests I can't hit him."

"And?" Tsume asked again, grinning when Kiba looked at her with a frown.

"And he's dancing with Yukiko…" he grumbled before throwing his drink back.

"Never thought I'd see the day you'd be jealous…" his mother laughed.

"I'm not jealous, she can dance with whoever she likes. But seeing his hands on her after talking about her on that mission is what's annoying me." Kiba explained, not bothering to add in he was a little jealous too but only a little.

"She's your wife Kiba, I bet she can handle herself around an idiot like that and if he does say or do something, he'd be a dead idiot to do it in the presence of our family and friends."

Kiba smiled and nodded, letting out a sigh. This was one of the longest, most exhausting days of his life and just wanted to lie down and rest for a moment but couldn't.

"Kiba-sensei!" a voice called, the Inuzuka looked up to see Mei and Shinji running towards him with wide eyes. "Someone's taken Yukiko-san!" the said in panicked voices. Kiba stood and looked to the dancefloor only to see his wife dancing with Aki. Rolling his eyes he looked to his two students who were now grinning widely.

"You should have seen your face sensei!" Mei laughed loudly, Kiba smirked a glint appearing in his eyes that quickly silenced his students.

"As your sensei I order the two of you dance for the next four songs." He instructed. "Just think of it was teamwork and I want to see handholding." And with that he escorted the blushing pair to the dancefloor and continued on to Yukiko and Aki.

"You've been replaced sensei!" Aki declared with a grin.

"So I can see, but let's allow the lady to decide…" The Inuzuka stated with a slowly forming grin as he looked to Yukiko. "Fair lady, will you take me back?" he asked playfully while holding out his hand. Yukiko laughed softly and leant down to plant a small kiss on Aki's cheek.

"Sorry Aki, I'm too old for you." She told him before straightening up and taking Kiba's extended hand.

Grinning, Kiba pulled on her hand, causing her to spin into him and place her hand on his chest that her body was now pressed against and the two began to dance.

"What happened to your other suitor?" he asked, unable to even force a smile when he talked about him but Yukiko knew who he meant and answered.

"He wasn't as steady on his feet as he thought." She told him with a nod in Benjirou's direction. Kiba looked over to see the man sitting in a chair, red faced and nursing his ankle on his knee with a bag of ice and the Inuzuka burst out laughing at the sight.

"Accidents happen I guess but I'm not complaining. Good thing he didn't take you down with him otherwise that could have been you." He told her as he looked back to her face, pausing when he saw her expression.

"It wasn't an accident was it?" he asked and when she shook her head he laughed and grinned before pulling her close and locking lips with her and after that the night flew by with drinking, speeches, dancing and laughter.

It wasn't until much later in the evening that Kiba felt a tap on his shoulder and looked away from his conversation with Shino to see Naruto holding out a scroll to him and grinning broadly.

"Go find your wife and get going you two, and make sure you enjoy the time off okay?" Kiba grinned and took it before giving a salute. "As you command, oh great Lord Hokage." He stated before walking off to find Yukiko, quickly finding her dancing with Gaara who he spotted having a tinge of red on his pale cheeks.

"Not trying to steal her, Kazekage?" he asked with a laugh as he appeared behind the leader of the Wind Country, the laugh getting louder when Gaara promptly dropped his hands and turned to offer his congratulations on the union and left in search of his siblings.

As he watched the man leave, Kiba felt Yukiko wrap her arm around his waist and lean into his chest, almost immediately, Kiba let his arm fall around her shoulders.

"He's embarrassed," she mused, her own cheeks tinged from the champagne she'd drunk. "Kankuro practically pushed him onto the dance floor, said it was an offence to not dance at least once with the bride." She smiled softly as she felt the rumbling laugh building in his chest; she let her gaze fall to his other hand and spotted the scroll and pulled back to look up at him. When Kiba met her gaze he could see a small hint of confusion and annoyance on her features, as always it seemed that after enough alcohol in her system she either didn't care to or tried to hide her emotions with the neutral mask.

"What's wrong?" he asked, suddenly concerned.

"You're leaving?" Now it was Kiba's turn to be confused, then he remembered the scroll and lifted it up.

"We're both leaving actually and letting everyone else here continue to party." He told her with a smile, watching the realisation click in her head and the annoyance slipped away instantly. "Need to say any goodbyes?" he asked, Yukiko nodded and went to find those she wanted to speak to and Kiba did the same. When they found eachother again, Kiba made the seal and opened the scroll the two of them disappearing in a plume of smoke, reappearing inside a well lit and beautifully decorated reception of a place Kiba recognised, a Hot Spring Hotel at the far north of the Fire Country, ideal for couples, those that wanted to relieve stress and take a break.

"The Inuzukas, I presume." The couple looked to see a middle aged woman smiling warmly at them. "I was wondering when you two would appear, I'll take you two to your room, your bags are already there." The pair frowned; neither remembered packing any bags. Laughing the woman pointed to the fireplace and lying asleep in front of it was Akamaru and Amaya.

"They arrived a few hours ago with the bags and note of your arrival, now come along this way." The woman ushered, leading them along the corridors until they came to their room and opened the door. The woman handed the key and explained this was one of the best suites with its own private hot spring, just for them. Her dark eyes flicked between the pair before she winked at Yukiko and left them, firmly shutting the door behind her. Then it was just the two of them and Yukiko suddenly felt weak. She could hear Kiba moving across the room behind her and looked over to see him kick off his shoes and tug sharply at his tie, unbuttoning his shirt as he walked around, inspecting the suite casually.

Yukiko couldn't move, she couldn't even think of taking a step. Her legs were trembling and her while her hands were clamped tightly together in front of her it didn't stop them from shaking uncontrollably either. She could hear her heartbeat racing in her ears and her mouth was so unbelievably dry, all she could do was fix her eyes on a print on the wall to keep herself from collapsing. When she felt a warm hand fold gently over hers she jumped, unable to stop the action. Blinking she looked to see Kiba was in front of her, a deep frown on his lips and she instantly felt worse, this wasn't how this night was to go, especially not for him. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat so she could explain or apologize but her mouth refused to open all she could do was stare into his dark brown eyes. Then without a word he stepped forward and lifted her in one fluid motion and carried her through the suite and to the doorway of what she realized was their bedroom. When he reached the bed, Kiba set her down on the edge of the bed and sat on the floor staring up at her seriously.

His actions had stunned her, momentarily granting her ability to talk to return. "Why are you on the floor?" she asked. Kiba sighed and reached out, taking one ankle and lifted it, removing her shoe and let it fall with a thud against the hardwood floor and repeated the action with the second foot. "Kiba?" Yukiko asked, her voice soft and willowy, as always but there was a hint of tension in it that didn't sit well with Kiba. He cast a gaze over her, she was tense everywhere. He returned to the first foot and took it into both of his hands, slowly and gently massaging it.

"You're tense and from what I saw in the other room there's something wrong. I want to know what." He told her, looking up to fix his stare on her amethyst eyes.

"It's nothing, really." She told him but he slowly shook his head, letting her know he wasn't accepting that answer. "Kiba, I'm serious. I'm fine." He lightly pressed into one point of tension in the arch of her foot, causing her to gasp out and frown slightly. They spent a good five minutes staring silently at eachother until Yukiko lay back and stared at the ceiling, shaking his head Kiba looked down, continuing to massage the tension away. She'd speak soon enough, that he was sure of and she did when he was half way through working on her second foot. Through the silence her soft voice came.

"I'm scared…" and he paused, glaring at the floor and slowly resumed. He had thought she was coping too well. She was no doubt scared of him and the experience being painful, a fear she'd probably already prior to meeting him and one that must have increased after the bite she received that morning. "I don't want to disappoint you." His head snapped up at that and he rose sharply to his feet and knelt on the bed beside her, staring down at her.

"Say what now?" he asked with an arched eyebrow, when she tried to look passed him and back to the ceiling he leant down and pinched her chin to keep her gaze on him.

Feeling her face heat up and her heart pick up the pace she licked her lips and took a shaky breath before speaking. "I've never done any of this sort of thing before. I mean I've been told what to do and whatever my husband tells me to do I'm to do it without question or hesitation. But knowing and being able to do it and do it well are completely different things. I…I want to be a good wife and I want to be able to please you and I'm scared of... not being able to." when she finished speaking, Kiba continued to stare at her, processing it. Finally he sat up and pulled her with him until she stood in front of him.

"I told you that you weren't going to get that type of marriage with me, Yukiko. I'm your husband, not master." He told her, moving behind her, one hand firmly planting itself on her stomach while the other slid up her pale neck and gently tilted it to the side, exposing the bite mark, leaning down he let his lips fall over the discolouration and continued up until his lips were at her ear. "You're never going to disappoint me, so just relax okay?" he whispered as he took hold of the zip at the back of her dress and slowly pulled it downward, grinning when a small whimper broke from her lips.

The Inuzuka couldn't help but take a step backward and slowly circle her as the garment fell to the floor, he took in every line and inch of his wife that was now visible to him, knowing that the underwear choice of black lace was entirely down to the insistence of Sakura and Ino. He couldn't help but smirk as her face flushed and her scent changed. There was nervousness and excitement there and when he let out a low, hungry growl of approval at what he saw, not only did her cheeks darken but a scent of arousal crept in, making him grin and stop in front of her. Reaching out he pulled her forward, his lips taking hers, letting the kiss progress past all of their past ones quickly. This one was fiery, hungry and for once would not be interrupted, something they were both glad of.

His hands roamed over her body, finally settling in her hair and on her back while she moved her hands to unbutton the rest of his shirt. Grinning against her lips, Kiba dropped his hands and grabbed her upper thighs, in one swift movement he lifted her and secured her legs around his waist as he shrugged out of the shirt and pinned his wife against the wall. The feel of the cold wall hit her warm, exposed back made her gasp and tilt her head back, taking full advantage of this Kiba began to move his mouth downwards and hands upwards, wanting to touch and kiss every inch of her body while still knowing that this experience had to be a great one for his wife and he'd damn well make sure that it was and by the way Yukiko arched her back and tightened her grip in his hair he was sure he was doing a good job.

Yukiko's mind was racing in all directions, she just couldn't make sense of anything, of all these feelings and sensations that she'd never experienced before but it wasn't enough, she wanted more, she needed more. But her ability to speak failed her all she could do was try to control her breathing but that seemed impossible. Her body tensed when one of the last pieces of clothing on her body was cast aside effortlessly and the cool air hit the newly exposed skin. When she felt Kiba pause she looked down, "Ki-Kiba?" she managed to pant out, in a breathless, dazed and almost unsure voice. Then without warning he locked his mouth and hand over the skin causing Yukiko to let out a loud moan and grip his shoulder tightly. Trying to silence herself she tightly bit her lower lip. Suddenly with a growl, she was spun and thrown onto the bed, looking up hazily she saw Kiba on top of her staring into her eyes with darkened, hungry eyes.

"Don't hold back." He practically growled at her as one hand trailed down her stomach and stopped when he reached her inner thigh. "I want to hear everything." He breathed in her ear, grinning against her heated flesh when all she could do was let out a whimper and then he continued, ensuring Yukiko felt too much to even think about silencing herself again.

* * *

><p>Kiba lay on his back, staring at the ceiling, breathless and panting with a thoroughly satisfied but exhausted grin on his face, one arm behind his head and the other draped lazily around Yukiko. Though the grin slipped when he felt Yukiko trembling and heard her breathing hitch. Sitting up in alarm he looked down at his wife to see her hand over her mouth and the tears falling quickly. Had he gone too far? Had he been too rough on her? Kiba was about to reach out when she sat up and threw her arms tightly around him and buried her face into his neck.<p>

"Thank you…" she choked out before sobbing harder, repeating the phrase over and over, letting out a relieved sigh, Kiba pulled his wife close and kissed her head while gently rubbing her back.

He knew this would be in some way emotional for her though it seemed he hadn't known just how much so he was just glad he made it memorable for her in a good way rather than the way she had feared for so many years. Finally she calmed and pulled away and planted a soft, tender kiss on his lips.

"I think that's the first time you were the one to kiss me and not the other way around." He laughed softly when they parted and he wiped the tears from her face before pulling her down to lie beside him again. They both deserved the rest after such a long day.

Kiba slowly drifted up from unconsciousness to the strange feeling that someone was standing next to him and the paranoid feeling that he was being stared at. Naturally it was all in his head, or so he thought. Groggily he half opened one of his eyes to be met with the sight of a young boy glaring at him. Letting out a yell he sat upright and realised he knew this boy. It was Yukiko's little brother. Looking down he only just realised his wife was no longer beside him.

"Tohru?" He looked up to see Yukiko in the doorway, wearing his shirt from the day before and couldn't help but grin at the sight. Meeting his gaze, Yukiko blushed and looked to her little brother who continued to glare at Kiba before speaking.

"Father said he wanted to speak to Kiba so I went to get him." He explained he stated before turning swiftly on his feet and went to his sister's side, throwing his arms around her waist in a tight hug.

"We miss you." He muttered, looking up only to freeze in surprise to see his sister smiling warmly. In all the years he'd known her she'd only give smiles in the rarest of occasions and none of them compared to the one he saw in front of him. Yukiko knelt down and hugged her brother.

"I miss you all too but I'll come visit you whenever we can." She said before looking to Kiba who grinned and nodded.

When the male was properly clothed he sat in opposite his now father-in-law in silence. Yukiko had dressed and decided to take her siblings out to the large garden the Hotel had as soon as the door shut behind the trio, General Yamamoto sighed.

"I'm sorry we couldn't make it to the wedding, yesterday." He said making Kiba frown more than he had been.

"Shouldn't you say that to your daughter instead of me?"

"I did, she accepted the apology. How is she doing, Kiba? Is she happy?"

"I like to think she is, she's worn that mask for so long, showing emotion still seems difficult for her but she smiles and laughs. She's becoming her own person again, it just might take a lot of time."

He watched the General smile and nod. "I can see it already in her. I have you to thank for that. That's good that she's adjusting, I'm glad I picked you." Then his face became serious. "Though I'm sure you can imagine that my picking you to marry Yukiko caused a great stir. Many of the Lords and Clans aren't happy at being passed over for someone who in their eyes is younger, less experienced and most likely not ready to lead a Clan yet, though most of their anger is petulant vanity. Some still want me to change my mind about the union."

"But we're already married." Kiba stated, the frown hardening on his face, he was already aware that some of the older suitors would become sour over the whole thing but this new information was beyond ridiculous.

"I know but it's happened in spite of that. Many are adamant they'd make a better union and now the other leaders of Snow are getting unsettled." He sighed, rubbing his forehead before he looked to his son-in-law. "I don't know what these Lords will do to ensure this union breaks apart but I am sure some may try."

"Break it apart? How?"

"Blackmail will most likely be the most tactful way. Others will be more ruthless I fear, they might directly go to you."

"What take me out of the picture so Yukiko is a widow and free to marry again?"

"More than likely, yes. Though don't abandon the possibility of kidnap or more legal means. Smarter men seem to be already attempting to appeal the union through my Country and its other leaders, find a way of proving you're unfit for Yukiko."

"Then what are we to do?" Kiba asked, he was getting worried about this now, the thought of people trying to kidnap Yukiko and take her away made him feel ill.

"All of this sort of thing takes a lot of planning, Kiba, money, resources and the like so that does give you time to sort it and I will do what I can on my end but there is only one thing that I know would call off all of this nonsense."

"And that is?" Kiba asked, watching the man in front of him sigh and reach forward, his hands clasped the Inuzuka's shoulders tightly and stared at him with serious blue eyes.

"You need to get Yukiko pregnant as soon as you possibly can, Kiba." he said "And don't tell Yukiko about this, we can't have her worrying."


	11. Leave It At The Door

**Leave It At The Door**

Kiba leant back against the rock of the Hot Spring and stared up at the sky with an arm lazily around Yukiko's shoulder, even after three days his mind was still thinking heavily on what General Yamamoto had told him. They set off on the long journey back to Snow that morning. Now it was just he and Yukiko again and to be honest, he was glad to be free of the constant glares from Hina and Tohru.

"We will visit them in Snow, I promised remember?" he eventually spoke up, looking down to see her turn her head upwards and fix her bright purple eyes on him.

"I know, I'm glad Naruto organised their visit, even if it was a short one." That confused Kiba, seeing the look Yukiko explained. "Remember that birthday gift, Naruto told me was on it's way? He was doing all he could to organise the three of them to come and stay for a couple days."

"So that's how they knew we'd be here."

"Yes, and apparently Akamaru caught their scent and met them on their way." She said with a small smile as she settled her back against his chest and closed her eyes. Kiba nodded and let out a sigh as he tried to relax but now that silence fell he was left to think about the task he was set. 'Get Yukiko pregnant as soon as you possibly can.' The phrase just kept going over and over in his head and wouldn't leave.

* * *

><p>And after two weeks even though it seemed like it went by in a matter of seconds, the pair were walking through Konoha's Gates again.<p>

"Well, well if it isn't the Inuzukas." The pair looked over to see Izumo and Kotetsu grinning at them. "Welcome back, I hope you two enjoyed yourselves…"

"We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, thanks for asking." Kiba answered as they continued the walk back to the Inuzuka estate, dreading how the news was going to go down with his family. Naturally there'd be anger and with that would come yelling, he cast his gaze down to Yukiko. He'd need to think of a way to get her out of the house for a bit, looking up ahead he saw the turn in the street that would lead them towards the estates.

"I'm going to see Naruto, to thank him for arranging my father and siblings to meet us." Yukiko spoke up, her purple gaze turning to her husband's face. "Is that okay?"

"Wh- yeah!" Kiba told her with a smile. "You don't need to ask for permission. You go on, I'll meet you back at the estate." As he spoke, he took a step towards the path to the estate, letting Yukiko nod and continue down the street ahead of her to the Hokage mansion and offices. When she was out of sight, Kiba breathed a sigh of relief for that small stroke of luck and hurried to the estate to gather his grandfather, mother and sister to tell them and it was just as he predicted.

Hana was angry but not as loud or profane as his mother, who was stringing every curse and threat she knew as a plan for what she'd do to the bastards if they touched Yukiko. And his grandfather was glaring at the wall, hands balled tightly into fists until they trembled but after a few moments, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"Okay, let them try. Blackmail? Hardly anything damaging enough to make us hand her over. Kidnap?" the old man snorted and looked out to the large gardens where some of the dogs roamed happily. "They'd need to be damned good at stealth and hiding their scent from us and the dogs."

"But to be on the safe side we'll need increase some more at night-time" Kiba spoke up as he frowned out at the garden "especially when any of us are out on missions." He looked to Sonzo who nodded thoughtfully, for once agreeing with him.

"So the only real thing we have to worry is the appeal if it ever comes to that and people coming for you, Kiba when you're on missions." Hana surmised looking to her baby brother with worry tugging at her features.

"I'll have Akamaru with me at all times and let Naruto know I won't take very high ranked missions unless it's urgent and an absolute last resort that I go. That leaves…" he trailed off as his mind once again went to getting Yukiko pregnant.

"That, my boy can not be forced or really planned for, you could try every day of the week but unless there's something happening on Yukiko's part of things, a baby won't magically appear." Sonzo sighed, clapping his hand on Kiba's shoulder. "Just carry on as normal and forget this whole mess. Take the time to actually experience married life." And with that the subject was dropped.

* * *

><p>Yukiko blinked a few times at what used to be the living room, now it was a large room overrun with delicately wrapped boxes fastened with ribbons.<p>

"What on earth's all this?" she asked to herself but Kiba's head suddenly appeared from behind a box causing a tiny scream to escape from her mouth that she promptly clamped shut with one hand while the other went to her chest as she fell against the doorframe and stared at her husband with minutely narrowed eyes as he laughed loudly.

"These are wedding gifts…" he choked out when his laughter finally subsided. Wiping a tear from his eye he stood and manoeuvred his way around the boxes until he reached the door. Crouching down he became eyelevel with Yukiko and grinned. "You okay?" he asked, unable to seem concerned and when her lips slipped into a small scowl, he couldn't help but chuckle.

"Yes, I'm fine." She answered neutrally as she straightened up and made to move around him to enter the room but was stopped when he leant in and planted a small kiss on her cheek.

"You sure?" he asked against her skin and when she nodded once he moved his lips to hers and kissed her gently before pulling away and began to lead her through the labyrinth of boxes until the two were sat on a space on the floor. "I am sorry for scaring you by the way. Though it _is _partly your fault." That caught Yukiko as she whipped her head up to look at him.

"You hardly react to most things, seeing you startled like that took me by surprise. Very adorable I must say, now come on and help me open these things." He chuckled before grabbing a box from beside him and pulled at the ribbon and paper, following suit Yukiko picked up the gift closest to her and began to unwrap it.

Most of the gifts were household things; expensive appliances, fine china plates and bowls, ornaments (some damn right ugly) but some were different and some came from their friends that stood out most for the pair.

From one of the Lords and his wife that attended the wedding, gave them a range of blankets and throws of different sizes and colours but made from the softest fabric that Yukiko couldn't help but resist draping one around her shoulders. Surprisingly, Shikamaru gave them a beautifully hand carven statue made from antlers. Not surprisingly, Lee gave them a set of 'his' and 'hers' legwarmers. Though they both paused when they looked into the box settled over both of their laps. Yukiko reached in and lifted a tiny pair of booties designed to look like paws while Kiba lifted the card to see who it was from. Rolling his eyes at the name.

"Takeo and the others…" Yeah, his cousins were real comedians by giving them a ton of baby clothes as a wedding gift, he would have to make a mental note to punch each of them at the next reunion.

"Hey there you two are!" Hana's voice came from the door making the newlyweds look up suddenly. "Come on, you're both wanted for the grand unveiling."

Frowning, Kiba moved the box onto the floor and stood with Yukiko who set the booties on the coffee table before following Hana. Yukiko glanced up at Kiba as they walked and tried to read his face; he seemed to be curious and suspicious of his sister who marched ahead of them. The woman glanced to the side as they passed their bedroom and frowned slightly as Hana led them further down the corridor and by the looks of things it seemed they were heading to the other end of the house.

At first Kiba thought they were being led to Sonzo's room but they turned in the opposite direction of that and then he realised that they were going to a wing of the house that they tended not to use anymore.

"Hana, why are we here?" He asked watching his sister turned and grinned broadly.

"Well that should be obvious Kiba, you are the Alpha now." She laughed before opening the door in front of the couple to reveal a large bedroom that also doubled as a study. "While you were gone we cleaned this up, moved your stuff in here and redecorated it for you two."

"But I- when did I?"

"Grandpa and Ma decided that the wedding was a big enough celebration as it was that we didn't need to go through another one so they dealt with the paperwork with Naruto while you two were away and that's all that really needed to be done. Besides the Clan pretty much accepted things the day after the wedding so in our eyes you're the new leader." She explained before ruffling her little brother's hair and walked down the hall.

"This will take some getting used to…" Kiba muttered to himself while rubbing the back of his neck as he entered the room and looked around. Hell it was big enough and gave the pair privacy that they never had before, although they never really needed privacy until now.

The male looked over to see Yukiko unravelling the fabric from her shoulders and began to gently fold it. Walking silently, Kiba stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist; the grin widening when he felt her body stiffen and he heard the small surprised hitch in her breath.

"Everything okay?" he asked with a small laugh as he ran one hand softly down her arm and over her hand to feel the fabric she seemed to hold just a little bit tighter than she had been before, it really was soft.

"Y-yes, I'm fine." Yukiko answered gently as she looked down at his hand that immediately stopped moving over the fabric in her grasp and fell back to his side. She was going to return the question but was stopped from doing so when she felt him sweep her hair over one shoulder, exposing her neck to him and the action alone sent her heart beating faster. Ever since their wedding night, Yukiko couldn't help reacting this way to these types of gestures, even the smallest thing made her want more and it almost always did lead to more.

Kiba lightly pulled her closer against his body as he slowly trailed his lips down her neck, chuckling softly when he could feel her rapid pulse. Kissing the spot once he lifted his lips away from her skin just enough to speak.

"Are you sure?" he asked with a grin. "You seem a little tense…" he mused before slowly turning her around and leant in to capture her lips hungrily. When he finally pulled away he gave her a serious look. "And you seem very flushed and breathless. No I really don't think you're fine at all, Yukiko. You'll just _have_ to spend the rest of the day in bed." He told her gravely before effortlessly lifting her into his arms and carried her to their new bed. When he saw the realisation hit her and the dark red flood her face he grinned, for now throwing all worries out of his mind and decided to take his grandfather's advice.

"So if you had to eat only one thing for a month what would it be?" Kiba asked as he played with her hair. They had been lying and talking like this for over an hour; naked and content, her head resting over his chest as she stared up at the ceiling. At his question she rolled her head to the side to look at him, a slight frown pulling at her lips. "What?" he grinned at her trying to decipher what was shining behind her purple eyes.

"I don't want to say."

"Why not? It's not something weird that you secretly love like squirrel meat stew swimming in chocolate sauce and grated cheese on top is it?" the grin became wider when Yukiko let out a gentle laugh of her own and shook her head.

"No it's not that…" she admitted before pursing her lips. "Promise not to judge?"

The Inuzuka regarded her curiously and nodded. "Promise."

"Our wedding cake." Kiba merely stared at her and thought back to the cake; three tiers of soft sponge with vanilla buttercream frosting and it was delicious. Nodding he accepted her answer.

"Good choice, though I can't see why you thought I'd judge you for it."

"Because it's not a healthy answer. Cake for a month would make me fat."

Kiba stopped playing with her hair and looked back to her and laughed.

"Being healthy isn't the point in this, you know." He grinned. "And I wouldn't care if you were fat."

"Really?" she asked, rolling over onto her side to stare at him intently.

"Yeah, wouldn't matter to me what size you are." He shrugged before going back to playing with her hair and continued speaking. "You'd still be you, right? Besides when you get pregnant you'll get bigger." And then the sentence hung in the air and Kiba realised what he had said and slowly tore his gaze back to meet Yukiko's. After a moment she nodded thoughtfully and smiled softly.

"Yes I suppose I will." She said and adjusted her head to rest it more comfortably on his chest before speaking again. "What about you, if you had to eat only one thing for a month what would it be?"

The Inuzuka stared at her silently for a moment, how could she have accepted his answer and not stopped to think about it? How could she remain as calm as ever? Though he decided not to return to the subject if she was fine with leaving it there.

"Umm, only one thing for a month…" he began thoughtfully, lightly running his hand across his chin. "I guess it would have to be that beef satay you made a couple of weeks ago." He answered, grinning broadly to see surprise light her purple eyes and a small, genuine smile shape her lips and truly Kiba couldn't get over her beauty. Reaching out he gently ran the back of his fingers along her cheek, though it was his turn to be surprised when she lifted her hand to cover his and give it a small squeeze.

"What brought that on?" he asked with a smile as he gave her hand a small tug, indicating he wanted her to come closer. Yukiko smiled and pushed herself up from his chest and settled down on her side beside his shoulder giving a small shrug.

"Don't know, felt like doing it I guess." She replied looking at him. "I mean we're married now and you've seen me naked,-and I'm naked now- so I suppose I don't have to be so neutral anymore, right?" she asked with a small frown, hoping she was making sense and not sounding stupid. "At least when we're alone that is…"

Kiba looked at her carefully and wrapped his arm around her.

"That's good for starters." He began. "So from now on when it's just you and me alone and when we're in this room that blank mask of yours gets left at the door. I want to see every expression you've got whether you're happy or angry you show it, okay?" he asked, returning the smile she gave him before grinning at her and swept his dark eyes over her exposed frame. "Now, returning to this naked business."

* * *

><p>He thought he could ignore it. He really, truly thought he could but in the dead of night it still pestered him and refused to let him sleep as soundly as his wife currently was. Why didn't she freak out when he talked about her getting bigger during pregnancy? Why didn't she read into it or get flustered? Did she want to be a mother right away? Did she think they were ready? Did he for that matter?<p>

Kiba sat back in the bed and rubbed at his neck, hoping to ease the building tension there. He needed to consider if he was truly ready. Yes he needed to get Yukiko pregnant to avoid anyone trying to take her away from him but was he ready for fatherhood? If Yukiko announced that she was pregnant would he be shocked? Probably not considering how much sex they had since marrying…Scared? Definitely when taking into consideration he'd be responsible for another life. He'd be scared of doing a good job in raising him or her as well. A small sigh broke him from his thoughts and he looked to see Yukiko roll over in her sleep and lay her hand over his chest. He watched the pale locks fall against the pillow and the content expression on her face. Happy? Yes he supposed he would feel happy if she was pregnant. Scared but happy, though one thing still bugged him and he didn't think it would wait until morning.

Gently he shook Yukiko's shoulder, watching the contentedness fall to sleepy irritation and soon she groaned at being woken. Rubbing her eyes, she managed to crack one open and look to Kiba with mild confusion.

"What's wrong?" she asked with a loud yawn as she stretched out and he could see she was falling back to sleep so he needed to be quick.

"I need to ask you something about what happened this afternoon."

"Hmm?"

"Why didn't you freak out about me talking about you being pregnant?" He could see her eye open again, that got her to wake up a little more thankfully.

"Because I've been prepared to be a mother since the beginning of all this arranged marriage business." She told him simply before yawning again. "It's all a matter of when my husband is ready to be a father." Lightly she tapped his chest. "So just let me know when you're ready okay."

Kiba nodded and took a deep breath. "I think I'm ready."

Yukiko was settling back into a comfortable position again and prepared to go back to sleep when he uttered that sentence. At first she didn't register it but then it hit her and she looked up at him, all signs of tiredness gone; her eyes were open and her mouth slightly agape.

"Are you sure?" she asked. "I don't mind waiting a few months or a year even."

Kiba frowned heavily at her statement and at how intently she was staring at him, as though she was searching for something in his eyes. Why so cautious about starting a family with him now? As though reading his mind she spoke.

"You're head of the family and you have your ninja duties on top of which along with training your genin squad that's already a lot to deal with. I don't want you stressed or running yourself ragged from it all. A baby might be too much too soon."

He could see the concern in her eyes, her hesitancy was all for his benefit. No, he couldn't let this woman go, he didn't want to and he was going to make damn well sure it wouldn't come to that. Besides he did think he was ready and that he could handle it. Smiling he leant forward and kissed her.

"I'm very sure, we'll start trying." He told her before settling down and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Sorry for waking you."

* * *

><p>It was almost a week since they returned from their honeymoon at the Hot Springs and most of that time was in their room and in the morning he had to go back to his normal routine, training his squad and going on missions. He was glad for the break from them but he refused to admit out loud that he missed their pestering and personal questions about his life. However that was all to come in the morning, but first he promised Naruto that he and Yukiko would make an appearance at the bar since it had been so long since everyone had been together. He looked down to Yukiko who as always walked just a little bit behind him and he wondered what she was thinking about, for a while her eyebrows had been ever so slightly furrowed.<p>

"Everything okay?" he asked watching as her gaze immediately sharpened and looked to him.

"Fine, just wondering how your friends will take the news." She said with a small smile.

"They're your friends too though why would you be wondering that? It's our business, how they take something they should be expecting shouldn't really be something to worry about."

"We've barely been married a month, not to mention the circumstances of our marriage it does seem like we're either rushing things or we're being forced into it…"

Kiba felt a small knot form in his stomach but spoke casually as he threw his arm around her shoulders. "And neither is the case for us, is it? We talked this through the night I first brought it up, remember?" Yukiko looked up and nodded, letting the topic come to an end, though the pair both knew it would come up again soon enough when they got into the bar.

Unfortunately the pair was the last to arrive so when they reached the table they were bombarded from all angles.

"Hey it's the Inuzukas!" "What took you guys so long? You'd think a two week honeymoon would get most of it out of your system." "Speaking of…how was the honeymoon?" were only some of the things they could properly hear but ignored their teasing until everyone turned to laid back chatting. Though it wasn't long until Sakura rose to get the next round, taking everyone's orders as she left the booth she finally came to Kiba and Yukiko.

"Beer thanks, Sakura."

"Orange juice, please."

"What do you want it with?" the pinkette asked with a smile.

"Nothing, orange juice is fine." Yukiko reassured her before glancing to Kiba who nodded. "We're actually trying so, no alcohol." And then all the different conversations halted and every pair of eyes in the booth turned to the newlyweds.

Tenten let out a squeal and lunged over to hug Yukiko while gushing out her congratulations, which Sakura and Rock Lee quickly joined in on. Naruto quickly shot his hand in the air and declared he'd be godfather, a statement that quickly turned to a heated debate between himself and Shino. Neji, Shikamaru and Sasuke began to talk about how the baby would be the first baby for one of the main members of one of Konoha's Clans of the new generation and what that would mean for Konoha and the other Clans.

"When word gets out my mother's going to push even harder for me to get married and start a family…" Shikamaru groaned as he folded his arms. Sasuke frowned and gestured to Sakura. When she was close he whispered something in her ear. Her green eyes widened and she lightly pushed the Uchiha away.

"No way!" she declared. "I'm not ready for that yet, especially when you're only saying that stuff because you think Kiba's beaten you at something." And with that Sasuke huffed, folding his arms tightly and scowled at the medic.

"You guys she's not actually pregnant yet you know…" Kiba began with a frown.

"Well get to work, Inuzuka." Tenten nudged him with a grin. "I wanna be an auntie again."

Kiba looked around, surprised at how well everyone seemed with the idea, he was sure that Ino and some of the others would have questioned their haste to have children though he understood when he made eyecontact with Naruto who had a serious expression on his face. The Hokage's gaze flickered briefly to Yukiko and then back to her husband. 'They know.' He mouthed and Kiba nodded.

With them being the last to arrive, Naruto had time to tell the others about the situation that General Yamamoto had warned Kiba of. Being Hokage, the General also informed him of the situation. Moments before the pair entered the bar, he had told them firstly of the moves being taken to try and either lawfully split up the couple or resort to actions like Kiba's murder or Yukiko's abduction and how pregnancy was the only likely way to prevent that.

Naturally everyone had come to like Yukiko and didn't want to see her taken away so they accepted the means to keep her a part of their lives and Kiba's. When the Hokage had seen them enter the bar he hissed out "Yukiko knows nothing of this and it's to stay that way."

* * *

><p>The man stood facing his window, arms folded tightly behind his back. When he heard a nervous knock at the door, he called for them to enter in one sharp order.<p>

"Sorry to interrupt your Lordship but our informants have contacted us…"

"Let me guess, they are aware of possible movements."

"Yes, though that was to be expected what with the outrage when her union was announced. However the pair have recently announced that they are looking to expand their family."

"I see, no matter it won't interfere with my plans. Thank you for informing me, close the door behind you." Yes the Inuzuka brat could fuck what was rightfully his all he wanted in hopes of getting her pregnant but it wouldn't work, he'd see to that and wouldn't stop. The man turned and lifted the photo of the purple-eyed princess, running a finger over her face. She'd be his all it would take was some patience, careful planning and absolute discretion.


End file.
